The Sound of Silence
by TheSoundofMusic
Summary: Despite his good looks and money, Kamui Gakupo couldn't be more awkward. Despite her rags, Megurine Luka is attending one of the most expensive schools in the city. Both find themselves seeking things that seem out of their grasp-but at what cost will they get the things they are looking for?
1. Chapter 1

_Chapter One: School Bells are Ringing_

There was a pause, before the tall girl blinked and clapped a hand of surprise to her mouth, taking in the sight before her with awe.

"Holy crap," she muttered, her blue eyes sweeping over the gilded gates, "is this actually supposed to be a school?"

Behind the gates there was a huge building with students streaming in and out, each of them laughing in their own groups as they did so. Taking a step back, Luka gulped and a hand went to her pink hair nervously before she reminded herself that this was no time to be self-conscious. She'd come to this school on a promise, and she intended to fulfill that promise whether she thought it was a good thing or not.

Besides that, she reasoned, why should she care if people judged her on her looks? Those who did that wouldn't be worth befriending or talking to anyways. Proudly, she flung her long hair over her shoulder only to hear a muffled, "Gack!" as it came into contact with something.

Whirling around, she looked on in horror as she saw that her hair had all but knocked out a guy wearing a uniform of the school. Long purple hair contrasted greatly against the gray of the sidewalk, and his pale skin was only amplified by the dark blue of the blazer he wore. She noticed all this as she knelt down and said in a panicked voice, "Are you okay? I didn't mean to-"

His eyes opened swiftly at the sound of the voice, nearly causing her to bite her tongue in surprise at the sudden gesture. As he sat up and rubbed his head, looking around in a confused manner, a yell from a few feet away caused both teenagers to look up. A young man with spiky blue hair ran towards them, a girl who was also blue-haired at his side. As the two reached the gates, the girl peered down at the boy and giggled. In a high pitched voice, she asked, "As clumsy this morning too, Gakupo!"

"Sh-shut up, Miku!" The boy on the ground said, looking embarrassed as he was pulled to his feet by the other boy. Brushing off his blazer and khaki pants, the boy muttered things under his breath while the blue hair girl turned to look at Luka as she stood up and straightened out her skirt. With a flustered look, Luka started to apologize when the girl giggled and shook her head.

"If you're trying to apologize, don't!" she said cheerfully, her twin tails blowing in the wind while she held out her hand for an introduction. Jerking her head over her shoulder, she said, "I'm Miku Hatsune, and those are my two good friend Kamui Gakupo and Kaito Shion. What's your name?"

Slowly, the taller girl took Miku's hand and said, "I'm Megurine Luka. But I go by Luka."

With another giggle, Miku released Luka's hand and pointed at the boy Luka had knocked down, exclaiming, "It's nice to meet you Luka! You can call him Gakupo, and you can call the other one Kaito!"

"Oy," the boy with spiky blue hair growled, ruffling Miku's hair, "Where do you get off telling other people what they can do?"

"Aaaahhh, Kaito stop it! Don't do that!"

While Miku fussed with her hair, Luke took a step back and eyed them warily before saying, "Well, I guess I'll just head to the headmaster's office then…"

Hearing that, the three teens looked at her before Kaito asked, "Are you a transferring student or something?"

Feeling like an oddity, Luka began to turn pink as the three stared at her. Backing away, she put her hands up defensively before saying, "Yeah, and what of it?" She immediately felt bad for thinking they were picking a fight when Miku pointed at Gakupo again and smiled, saying, "He's the student body president, he can take you to the headmaster's room and help you get everything organized before you're assigned to a class!"

As her hands fell slowly to her side, she looked over Gakupo who reddened a little before straightening up. Walking past her, he muttered, "Come on then, let's go."

"Bye! I hope you get put in my class, Luka-chan!" Miku called out, waving as the two taller teens headed onto the school grounds and disappeared inside the building.

They walked side by side in silence until Gakupo cleared his throat and smiled, saying, "I'm sorry you had to see me so flustered, it's just that normally I'm not that clumsy." Just as he finished his sentence, he stepped on a pencil that had been lying in the middle of the hallway. With yelp of surprise, he slipped and fell on the ground once more as two female students ran up to him, apologizing profusely.

"Sorry, President!" the two girls cried, hands put together in apology, "We dropped this earlier and forgot all about it!" Propping himself up on his elbow, Gakupo gave them a smile which had them blushing as he replied, "Oh, it's no problem! You two should get back to class!" As he stood up and brushed his pants off once more, Luka stared at him. For such a good looking guy, he was every bit as clumsy as he claimed not to be. Luckily, the two made it to the headmaster's room without any more incidents, and as he set off down the hall waving Luka shook her head before turning to the large oak doors that stood in front of her.

Then, with a determined expression, she pushed open the doors and stepped inside.

**xxxxXXXXxxxxXXXXxxxxXXXXxxxxxXXXXxxxx**

Bowing low, her hair scraped the ground as Luka pleaded, "I wish to attend Kaisei Academy, despite it being so late in the year."

The headmaster, who looked more like a grandfather than anything else, peered at her over the top of his spectacles before musing in a worried voice, "Well, I suppose you could be a transfer student, but you do realize this is a private school my dear? I mean…" He trailed off, sounding embarrassed although Luka knew what he was referring to. Though Miku and the two boys hadn't mentioned it, Luka's clothes were full of patches and looked somewhat sewn together. She supposed that they'd ignored it out of politeness, but all the same it had caught the attention of several other students as she'd been led down the halls by Gakupo.

Still bowing, Luka replied, "Headmaster, I want you to know that I have funds to attend this school." Straightening up, she dug into her bag before producing an envelope. As she held it out towards the confused man, she said confidently, "In here is a deposit check with enough money for tuition for the next three years. Please allow me to attend! I'll take placement tests, or whatever it is you'd like, but I beg of you to let me come to this school!"

Looking over Luka's desperate features, the headmaster frowned a bit before asking in a concerned voice, "Certainly my dear, but why do you seem to so bent on attending this school? Is there a certain reason?"

Meeting the headmaster's gaze, Luka smiled a little sadly before saying, "I…I'd just like to graduate from an esteemed school is all…"

Unsure, the headmaster looked her over again. She didn't appear to be telling the whole truth; there was obviously a pressing reason she was so desperate to attend this particular school, though it was obvious she wouldn't tell him. Still, she didn't seem dangerous, and if anything she appeared to be hard-working and generally honest. Signaling her to come forward, he held his hand out to accept the envelope before saying, "There is no need for a placement test as we have no scholarship for students here, so I'll call our student president to come here and help you arrange everything for your entrance to this school. I expect great things from you, Miss Megurine."

**xxxxXXXXXxxxxXXXXxxxxXXXXxxxx**

"Where's Gakupo?" Miku complained, swinging her legs as she sat on Kaito's desk and played with her hair. Kaito looked up at her with some irritation before sighing and saying, "I don't know. I heard he got called up to the headmaster's room for something; you don't think that he actually let that girl transfer in?"

Miku shot Kaito a disapproving look before turning her attention back to her hair and muttering, "Kaito, it's not nice to judge people just on their appearance." Her friend opened his mouth to protest when two more of their friends walked in. With a happy smile, Miku shot her arm into the arm and waved them over. The two of them (near identical despite being fraternal twins) turned before giving her grins and heading over. Bouncing back and forth on her heels, the girl smiled before saying, "Good morning, Miku!"

"Morning, Rin!" Miku said enthusiastically, while the boy twin sat down and threw a grin at Kaito. Begrudgingly, Kaito muttered, "Mornin', Len." The boy just grinned before leaning over and saying, "Are you copying my spikes, Kaito? I mean, I know I'm good lookin', but-" Kaito interrupted the blond boy with a growl before leaning forward and complaining to Miku, "Why do we put him? Rin!" Turning to the girl, Kaito pointed at her brother and complained, "Fix your brother, he's way too conceited."

"Conceited?" Len said, sounding outraged. "Me?" As he and Kaito fell to arguing loudly, Miku and Rin exchanged shrugs before the shorter girl looked around the classroom with a troubled look. Blue eyes blazing, Rin asked, "Where's Gakupo? I'm supposed to remind him that the student council has a meeting after school today. He has to say it during morning announcements or half of the council won't show up!"

"Look at you being all worried about a meeting," Kaito teased, as he held a struggling Len in the crook of his arm. "Don't worry Secretary Rin, I'm sure you'll have at least one other person attend. I mean, our school rep Len here can't exactly skip out and leave his precious sister to do all the work for the meeting!"

As Len growled and attempted to claw his way out of Kaito's grasp, the teacher came in and called everyone to order. Letting go, the friends all retreated to their separate seats before straightening out their outfits and casting glances over at the empty desk at the back corner of the room where their friend Gakupo usually sat.

**xxxxXXXXxxxxXXXXxxxxXXXXxxxx**

The two sat in awkward silence as Gakupo watched the tall girl sort through the stack of papers he'd given her for enrollment. Finally unable to stand the silence, he coughed before attempting a conversation.

"So you uh, got into school here with us I see," Gakupo said with a weak smile, falling silent as Luka ignored him and kept rifling through the papers before her.

Inwardly he winced, reflecting on how stupid he sounded. Already he'd made a terrible first impression on her; being clumsy all morning hadn't done much to endear her to him. For as popular and well-liked by everyone as Gakupo was, he was a total klutz when it came to girls. Unlike his two friends Kaito and Len, he couldn't keep a girl's attention for more than five minutes, earning him the nickname "virgin president" among the guys at the school. Although every guy who called him that said it in a good-mannered sort of teasing, it still make Gakupo flush with shame as he thought of the fact he was the only guy among his friends who had yet to be with a girl.

He hadn't even kissed one, let alone dated one the way every other guy in the school had.

He wanted to make a good impression on this girl in the hopes of finally being able to win someone over; Gakupo wanted to show her that not only was he an intelligent and friendly president, but could also play the role of the popular, good-looking guy. Unfortunately, his friend Kaito had already made it a point to let him know that his looks could only take him so far. Far more than impressing just this one girl, Gakupo wanted to be like his two friend Len and Kaito, both of whom claimed they could make any girl fall for them. The two were the most popular boys in the school; Gakupo was noted by most for being studious, although with all the other boys' teasing he was quickly becoming known for being unnoticeable by girls.

While Gakupo fidgeted awkwardly in his seat, Luka's blue eyes sorted through the papers as she picked up a pen and signed stacks of agreement documents. Most of the 'contracts' with the school had to do with following the rules and being a good student, but she wasn't taking any chances on allowing them to weasel more money out of her than necessary. It was bad enough that she'd given up all the money she'd inherited from her late mother; she wasn't about to give up her living expenses either. Finally satisfied and having signed all the papers, she neatly restacked everything and pushed it all over to Gakupo, who had been working up his courage for another attempt at conversation.

Standing up, he cleared his throat and coughed, "You can get your uniform fitted after school today in the student council room. I'll have our secretary, Kagamine Rin measure you and take it down before sending everything out to the tailors. You'll be in Class 2-B, with me and the two others you met this morning." Realizing that he sounded somewhat robotic, he tried to smile encouragingly at her before holding out his hand and saying, "I-I look forward to having you in our class!"

Luka gave him a somewhat surprised look before taking his hand hesitantly and replying softly, "Thank you…" For a second Gakupo reflected on how soft her hand was until she jerked it back swiftly, causing a blush to arise to his cheeks as he realized that he'd been staring at her hand. Turning quickly on his heel as if to divert her attention from how strange he acting, he muttered, "I'll show you the way to the classroom after I give the morning announcements. Follow me."

* * *

**I really should get better at these disclaimer things. Oh well.**

**Don't own the characters (or the software for the matter) but here's a story about them anyways!**

**Hope you enjoy, feel free to leave reviews and thanks for reading! :)**


	2. Chapter 2

_Chapter Two: A Pigeon amidst Doves_

Everyone stared as Luka introduced herself. It couldn't be helped-her patched and worn clothing looked even more out of place as she stood at the front of the class and bowed awkwardly as a greeting. As the students began to mutter amongst themselves at wonder of the new student, Luka looked up and caught Miku staring at her. The blue-haired girl gave her a thumbs up, as if to encourage her.

Surprised but warmed by the gesture, Luka smiled gently, causing the class's whispers to become even more frantic. For all her raggedness compared to the splendor of the other students, there was no doubting that Luka was extremely pretty. The teacher rapped a ruler on the desk before sending Luka to the back of the room, where she sat silently throughout class until the lunch bell rang.

As the other students all stood up and headed towards the cafeteria, Gakupo got up and joined his friends. With a loud complaint, Rin pounced on him before exclaiming, "Where were you this morning, Gakupo!? I thought you were going to forget we had a meeting today and not announce it, and then we would've been in trouble!" Pushing forward, Len crossed his arms and said, "Never mind that, Rin. Gakupo, who's that girl?"

"Oh, her?" Gakupo said, blinking as the whole group turned to look conspicuously at where Luka sat, staring at her desk with a frown on her face. Everyone turned back to the purple-haired teen as he shrugged, "She's just…Megurine Luka. I don't know why she transferred here or why she was allowed to transfer, but she's here. Oh, and Rin, you have to get her measurements for a uniform after school today."

Rin slid off of Gakupo's back, grumbling about more work while Kaito grinned and leaned in, elbowing his friend. "So Gakupo," Kaito said slyly, "Did you manage to make her first impression of you a good one? She thinks you're a cool, popular guy, right?" When Gakupo said nothing but turned bright pink, Kaito and Len exchanged evil grin before shrugging at each other.

"Honestly Gakupo, when you are you going to use those good looks of yours the right way?" Len sighed, before turning to his sister. "Come on, Rin, let's go get lunch." As the twins left, Miku patted Gakupo on the head and gave him a smile.

"Go ask her to have lunch with us!" Miku urged as she stood up and headed towards the door. "You can be a people person if you want, go on!"

As soon as Miku left, Kaito threw a look over his shoulder at Luka before grinning. Turning to his friend, he teased, "Shall I go ask her in your stead? I'm sure she'd be much more happy getting an invitation from a suave guy than one who always bites his tongue when he talks to pretty girls."

Gakupo blushed again at this before turning around robotically and muttering, "I can do it. I can ask her to lunch." As Kaito chuckled and left the room, Gakupo stiffly made his way over to where Luka sat. Upon hearing him approach, she looked up with a curious look.

"I…I was wondering…." He wanted to smack himself for sounding so incredibly intimidated by the new girl. Not only was he biting his tongue; his hands were clenched into fists as his nervousness rose higher and higher by the minute. Not understanding that he was nervous, Luka frowned at him. Thinking that he was forcing himself to ask her to lunch out of pity rather than kindness, she turned away from him and said, "No thank you."

Those three words seemed to crush what little confidence Gakupo had, and slumping his shoulders he laughed awkwardly, "Oh, okay…I'll just…I'm gonna go now. Have a nice lunch." All but running out of the room, his cheeks burning red with embarrassment. Outside the classroom, he leaned against a wall to take a deep breath and compose himself before heading towards the cafeteria. Kaito had been right, he thought regretfully. There was no helping it; Gakupo really didn't know how to act as smooth as his friends. On the way to the cafeteria, he made a mental note to ask Kaito how to ask someone without sounding so forced.

By herself, Luka sat at the desk and ate her homemade lunch, wishing she was anywhere but there.

**xxxxXXXXxxxxXXXXxxxxXXXXxxxx**

"You didn't ask her?" Miku said, sounding somewhat angry when Gakupo arrived at their lunch table alone. With a pout, he slid into his seat next to Len and crossed his arms. "I tried…" he sulked, catching the attention of Rin. The blond girl leaned forward, smiling sweetly as she said, "Oh Gakupo, don't tell me you got nervous again! Girls aren't so hard to talk to, just pretend you're talking to me or Miku!"

Before Gakupo could respond, Len shook his head and leaned on his friend's shoulder. "Nah, Rin, he doesn't need to go around BEFRIENDING all the girls; he needs to go around making them fall for him. We're children of the business world, so we're going to have to choose a wife someday when we succeed the family trades right? And if you want to get a good one, not only do you have to talk to their dad's but you have to make the girl like you too. And that only comes with experience."

Smacking her brother's shoulder, Rin complained, "That doesn't mean going around and sleeping with every girl you meet then breaking their hearts! I think Gakupo's fine the way he is, without you or Kaito corrupting him!"

While the twins argued, Miku leaned forward and chided Gakupo. "Honestly, you should listen to Rin. She's right you know; just get up the courage to talk to her properly. You don't have to look at every girl you meet as someone you have to try and seduce!"

Kaito cast a glance in Miku's direction before sighing, "You don't get it at all, Miku. It's a guy thing. Besides, we're not as bad as Rin makes us sound; I've only slept with two girls, and both of them I dated for awhile before I even considered it. You have to do these things properly you know."

Miku turned bright red with anger at his statement before standing up and tossing her hair over her shoulder. Turning around, she said haughtily, "Come on, Rin. Let's go back to the classroom and talk to Luka." Getting up, Rin shook her head at the boys one more time before following Miku out of the lunch room. Leaning back in his seat, Len put his arms behind his head and exhaled.

He turned to Gakupo before saying, "Kaito's right. You can make all the girls you want fall in love with you, but don't go around sleeping with everyone. That's just not classy. The reason everyone still loves us despite us rejecting them is because we make it a point to treat them nicely. We don't just seduce them and sleep with them; we make them fall in love to better our reputation but when they confess we reject them nicely. That way, when a girl we really like hears about us, all she hears is that we're super popular but that we're not total jerks."

"You sound like a jerk right now," Gakupo pointed out meekly, before Kaito laughed and slung his arm around the long-haired teen. Ruffling the purple hair, Kaito exclaimed, "It's just guy logic. You can be a popular playboy without actually having to use people. There's a difference between being a user and being a heartbreaker."

"Is there though?" Gakupo asked skeptically, while Len and Kaito laughed. Shaking his head, Len dug into his food and said, "There is. You just have to get there and find out yourself."

**xxxxXXXXxxxxXXXXxxxxXXXXxxxx**

In the classroom, Luka was picking morosely are her food when the door swung open. "Lukaaaa!" Miku sang, prancing into the classroom with Rin on her heels. The two girls sat down at desks near Luka's so casually that the pink-haired girl couldn't help but smile at how they were making a point of treating her the same as them, despite the fact it couldn't be more obvious they were from different classes.

"I can't believe that Gakupo didn't ask you to lunch, he never does anything right!" Miku complained, as Rin leaned forward and introduced herself.

"I'll be taking your measurements today after school," Rin said with a friendly smile, "Although it looks like I'm going to need a stool when it comes to your height! You're so tall and pretty, I bet you get offers to model all the time!"

Luka blushed a bit at this before shaking her head and saying with a laugh, "I'm not that talented, or that patient. I have a simple job, and a simple way of dressing. I can't afford to catch peoples' eyes." She blushed even more as she looked down and noticed how dingy her clothes seemed compared to the navy blue and white of the uniforms Miku and Rin wore. At Luka's statement however, Rin just giggled before saying, "Don't worry, you'll catch plenty of people's attention in one of our uniforms! These look good on everyone!"

With another smile, Luka opened her mouth to thank them when the three boys walked into the classroom and headed over as the rest of the class filed into the room. As they approached, Luka remembered the way that the boy Miku had called 'Kaito' had looked at her that morning. It was obvious that he'd thought she wasn't going to be accepted into the academy, let alone put in the same class as him. She tried to keep her negative thoughts from showing though, as the three finally walked up behind Miku and Rin and stood there looking at her.

Len slyly eyed Gakupo, before offering Luka his hand. When she took it hesitantly, he leaned down and kissed it lightly before looking up and meeting her blue eyes with his own. Giving her a wink, he said, "I'm Kagamine Len, Rin's older brother." As Luka blinked, he bent down a little closer and smiled at her, noticing that Gakupo was watching with a mixture of fascination and horror.

His smooth moves were interrupted by Rin who elbowed him, snickering, "Yeah , older by what, a minute?" Len blushed a bit as the rest of the group laughed, seconding this statement before he turned his full attention back to Luka. To his chagrin she was giggling along with the rest of them, but when she finished she gave him a pretty smile before saying earnestly, "It's nice to meet you, Kagamine-san." With another smile in return, Len released her hand and bowed a bit before saying, "You can call me Len, if you want." Unable to stand her brother's flirtations, Rin grabbed him by the throat. While Len choked in an unbecoming manner, Rin smiled sweetly at the rest of the group before saying, "Well, we'll see you after school then Luka! Wait for me at your desk and we can walk to the student council room together, okay?" Dragging her brother off to his desk, Rin muttered death threats to him under her breath while Miku smiled and hopped out of her chair. Grabbing Kaito's hand, she pulled him away before flashing an encouraging smile at Gakupo, who stood awkwardly in front of Luka's desk. As if to say, 'now's your chance to talk to her', Miku jerked her head in Luka's direction before she and Kaito completely turned away.

As Kaito found himself being dragged away, he hissed, "Could you have BEEN more obvious? What are you trying to do, hook them up?"

With a pout, Miku let go of Kaito's hand and turned to face him, sulking as she complained, "It's not that, I want him to get more confidence to talk to people, especially girls! Can't a friend just help out another friend?" At this, Kaito rolled his eyes before an idea formed. His lips already curving into a devious smile, he looked down at Miku and said, "So you won't interfere then, if he starts talking to her?" Wondering what her friend was getting at, Miku gave him a confused look until he walked off, waving his hand at her as if to dismiss the idea.

Sitting down, Kaito cast a glance at where his tall, gangly friend was awkwardly standing in front of the new girl. When Gakupo said nothing to her and just turned red, swiveling around and making a beeline for his seat, Kaito smirked before sitting back in his chair.

He had an idea that would completely change Gakupo, whether Rin and Miku would like it or not.

**xxxxXXXXxxxxXXXXxxxxXXXXxxxx**

"This school really IS huge," Luka grumbled under her breath as Rin showed her into a lavish dressing room and began to take out a tape measure. Compared to the high school she'd been attending before, Kaisei Academy was far beyond anything she'd ever encountered before. As Rin wrapped a tape measure around the taller girl's chest, Luka snuck a peek at the clock before deciding she'd still have enough time to make it to work without being late. Her boss wasn't mean in the least, but even she got irritated when workers weren't on time.

"Luka?"

Luka snapped out of her thoughts to see Rin grinning up at her good-naturedly. Holding up the tape measure, the blond winked before saying, "You've got quite a bust there, Miss Luka! Anyways, you should get going to wherever it is you have to go-I mean, you look like you're in a hurry for something."

Blushing with shame, Luka smiled and asked, "Was it that obvious?"

Rin giggled before waving it off, saying smugly, "You kept looking at the clock so often that it wasn't hard to tell! Go on, get out of here! I'll see you tomorrow and have your uniform ready for you then!" With a smile, she waved the taller girl off before gathering her things and heading into the student council room, where the meeting was already in full sway.

Gakupo stood at the head of a large mahogany table, a white board behind him and various stacks of paper near his seat. On either side were the different representatives, and with a small apologetic bow for being late Rin slid into her seat on the right of her brother. As she did so, Gakupo nodded at her in acknowledgement before turning to Len.

"Student Representative, your report please." He said in a cool and confident voice. Standing up, Len gave the other students a quick smile before shrugging and saying, "Not much to report here, Prez. The annual winter ball doesn't happen for another two months, and there's no need to send delegates to the other schools just yet." The senior members in the council shook their head at Len's unprofessionalism, while the female members tittered and blushed as he winked at a few of them. Gakupo ignored his friend's antics all together and turned to Rin. Seeming more like the president of a business than the president of a student council, he asked, "Did you get all the measurements then?"

Rin nodded and Gakupo straightened up before turning to the rest of the council. "As everything seems to be in order, this meeting is over. We'll meet again in two weeks, to prepare something for the Open House we're going to be hosting in hopes of prospective students. Secretary, make sure you send all that information to the tailors, and any papers that need to be approved should be deposited in my drop box by the end of the week. Dismissed." As everyone got up from their seats and made their way to the door, Len slunk up to his friend and hit him on the shoulder.

"You're so uptight, Prez, that's why none of the girls wanna talk to you!" Len teased Gakupo, grinning as his friend became flustered and squeaked, "I-I am? But I thought I'd gotten better!" Len was about to say more when Rin knocked him roughly on the head. Ignoring her complaining brother, Rin turned to Gakupo and gave him a sweet smile, saying, "Don't mind him, he's just a goof-off. Anyways, it's better that you're so serious Gakupo, that's why everyone voted you as student council president in the first place!" Rin was so busy reassuring her friend that he wasn't as bad as Len said when she saw a hand reach down and the paper with Luka's measurements on them disappeared before her eyes. Turning around frantically, she watched her brother scanning the paper with wide eyes.

"Wow, get a load of these measurements! Her chest is hug-" Len didn't get to finish his sentence, as Rin kneed him in the stomach and swiped the paper back. Marching out of the room, she glared at her brother before slamming the door behind her. Gakupo leaned down, patting a wheezing Len on the back. In a soft voice, he said, "I don't think you should do that, Len, you know that Rin hates it when you chase girls and do those sorts of things." Len stood up, throwing a grin in his friend's direction as he shrugged and said, "Oh come on, it's what any normal guy would do! Anyways, that new chick IS pretty cute. She's not polished and perfect like my sister, or bubbly and friendly like Miku, but she's a knockout. Besides, I don't chase girls, girls just chase me." Strutting out of the room, he called over his shoulder to Gakupo, "You really ought to think about seriously going after the girl, Gakupo. You two would make a good match, since you're both so abnormally tall."

Rather than getting flustered at Len's words the way he normally would, Gakupo stood up and mused to himself. Len was right; Luka was quite pretty despite her cheap clothes and serious attitude. If he could get someone like her to fall for him, it would do him a world of good and he wouldn't be teased by Len and Kaito anymore…he was jolted out of his thoughts as his cellphone rang. Pulling it out of his breast pocket, he glanced at the name before snapping it open and saying, "Hello? Kaito? What's up?"

"_Hey, Gakupo. I guess you guys are done with your meeting, huh?"_

"Yeah we're done, but I've still got a lot of work to do before I can leave…" trailing off, Gakupo took in the stacks of papers on the table before sighing. "Why, did you need something?"

"_Not really. But I have a fun idea. I've been sitting on it all afternoon, but I just now decided to go ahead and tell you."_

"An idea?"

As Kaito elaborated, Gakupo found himself turning red with every word. When Kaito asked if Gakupo was in, the purple-haired teen hesitated before asking for time to think and closing the phone swiftly. Placing a hand on the table to steady himself, the student president looked down at the polished mahogany as he reflected on what Kaito had just asked him.

Could this be the chance to prove himself to everyone?

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**Yay for long chapters? For some reason I feel like I'm really on a roll with this story. That, and I literally just discovered Vocaloids like a week ago XD Anyways, hope you enjoyed it and a big thanks for reading/reviewing!**

Comments and criticisms are always appreciated, no matter what! (Just don't burn me with flames of hate please XD Nobody likes being burned!)

Stay tuned for more updates :)  



	3. Chapter 3

_Chapter Three-The Bet _

"Luka, THERE you are," the head maid said with relief as Luka all but slammed open the back door of the kitchen. In a rush, she headed towards her room in the servant's quarters as the head maid called after her, "You'd better hurry, the young master Oliver has been demanding for you since he knew your school was out! You know how he gets when you're not home in time!"

Once in her room Luka threw her things onto the small bed in the corner before throwing open her closet door to reveal her uniform for the house. Quickly changing into it, she set her headpiece on properly and rushed out of the kitchen and through the halls, not pausing until she came to a large door that she knew well. Catching her breath, she waited a few seconds before knocking on the door.

"Come in!" she heard a boy's voice call, and she quietly opened the door and entered, before letting it fall behind her with a soft click. As she bowed slightly, the disinterested tone of the boy changed and an excited voice said, "Oh, Luka! You're home!" Looking up, the teen smiled as her blue eyes fell upon her young charge. Eagerly bouncing up to her, the little boy grabbed her hand and grinned up at her, not caring that the tie to his sailor suit was coming apart, or that his blonde hair was falling into his face. As he pulled her over to his desk, he said happily, "I tried to get one of the other maids to help me with my homework today, but they're so stupid that it was a complete waste of time! I'm glad you're back, what took you so long today?"

Picking up the little boy, Luka placed him in the desk chair and knelt down, immediately fixing his tie while chiding him all the while. "Oliver, what did I tell you about calling other people stupid? It's not polite, now is it?" Oliver frowned at her scolding before crossing his arms and complaining, "Well it's not rude if I'm just telling the truth! I asked Meiko and she just told me to figure it out myself because it was my homework and not hers!" With a grin, Luka shook her head before straightening up and putting her hands on her hips. Handing the ten-year-old his pencil, she said, "Let's just start on that homework of yours, alright?"

The two were finishing up the last of Oliver's homework when a loud rap on the door caught their attention. "Who is it?" the little boy called, looking irritated at the interruption. Luka looked up as her friend's voice called, "It's Meiko."

Oliver made a face before sighing and calling, "Okay, come in." The door creaked open to reveal Luka's older best friend, an attractive woman with short brown hair. Hands on her hips, Meiko surveyed the dirty room before complaining to Luka, "Did you help him with his homework again? You spoil him too much!"

With a pout, Oliver stuck his tongue out at the older woman and pulled Luka in front of him like a shield. Calling out from behind the pink-haired teen, he said,"I'm not being spoiled, you're always mean to me Meiko! Why can't you be nice, like Luka?" Marching over to the desk, Meiko reached behind her friend and pulled Oliver out from behind her. Dragging the complaining ten-year-old over to a large wardrobe, she scolded him all the way.

"If I was as nice as Luka you'd never learn and you'd be a brat," Meiko said. "Someone has to be strict to you!" Having said that, Meiko glared in her friend's direction. Raising her hands in apology, Luka said, "Sorry, Meiko! Here, let me help you get him dressed for dinner okay?"

Between the two maids, a complaining Oliver was finally pulled into a dinner suit. Looking down at the black linen, the little boy sulked while Luka buttoned up the last of his jacket and Meiko went over to the bedside table where a velvet eyepatch lay. Holding up the patch, Meiko turned disapprovingly to the boy and lectured, "Oliver, what have I told you about leaving this all over the place? Take care of your things better!"

"I don't wanna wear that one," Oliver pouted. Turning to Luka he pulled at her skirt and asked, "Can you tie my blue patch on for me?" With a gentle smile, she patted him on the head and replied, "Of course." Going over to the large dresser on the opposite side of the room, Luka rummaged through several different sorts of eyepatches before coming across the one Oliver had requested. Returning to his side, she knelt down and gently cleared his hair from his face, revealing one light brown eye. His left eye was shut, and it was this eye that Luka placed the patch over before tying the strings behind his head. As she stood up, she smiled fondly at him before taking his hand and turning to Meiko. Offering his other hand to the older maid, Oliver said cheerfully, "Let's go to the dinner room then!"

**xxxxXXXXxxxxxXXXXxxxxXXXXxxxx**

"You spoil him way too much you know. Don't be so sweet on him just because he's got an eye problem and he acts more like your little brother than your young master."

"I don't spoil him, I just help him out! He's so cute, Meiko, I can't treat him as harshly as you can!"

The two girls argued with each other on the way back to the kitchen, having safely taken Oliver to the dining room where his parents and their guests sat at a lavish table. The two had been assigned as his caretakers from a young age, and as a result both were very attached to him, though Meiko was loathe to admit so.

As the two girls entered the kitchen, they greeted the other servants of the household before snagging some food and heading over to an empty table at the corner of the room. As they sat and ate, Meiko finally asked the question she'd been dying to ask since that morning.

"So did you get in then?" she asked, nearly causing Luka to choke on her food at the sudden question. Wiping her mouth on her sleeve, Luka took a deep breath before meeting her friend's gaze. She nodded, and Meiko smiled before sitting back in her chair. "That's good then, right? I mean, your mother specifically saved up for you to go to that school, although I don't know why…I mean, she left you that weird message to but it isn't like we know what she meant by it."

Luka didn't answer, instead staring into her bowl of food with a pensive expression. Her mother had been a maid at the Markwell residence for as long as Luka could remember; in fact, at age ten her mother had been offered by the owners room and board at the house. That was when Luka had decided to start working too, and she hadn't questioned her life as someone ordinary until her mother died and left her such a strange request.

What had her mother been thinking, asking that she take all her savings and attend an expensive school?

**xxxxXXXXxxxxXXXXxxxxXXXXxxxxXXXXxxxx**

It was late in the afternoon when Gakupo finally arrived home. As the driver pulled up to a lavish mansion, he noted that there was a familiar looking car in the driveway. Over his shoulder, the driver said, "Young master, it appears that you have guests."

"What?!" Scrambling to the window Gakupo pressed his face to the glass in an undignified manner before realizing who's car it was in his driveway. As soon as the driver stopped the vehicle, Gakupo burst out of the car and marched into his house, ready to reprimand the intruders. Upon entering, maids bowed and took his school things before smiling at him and gesturing towards the sitting room. In a fury, Gakupo walked over to the parlor and thrust open the doors to find both Len and Kaito carelessly slung all over the couches. When they saw Gakupo, they straightened up and waved happily, not caring that their friend was beyond irritated at them.

"What-are-you-doing-in-my-house?" He hissed, as Len smirked at him and stood up, dusting off his jacket. The teen had changed into casual clothing; he could have been mistaken for a normal high schooler, if not for the way he held himself. Still smiling relaxedly at his friend, Len complained, "Calm down, what's got you panties all twisted?"

While Gakupo blushed furiously at Len's words, Kaito stood up and went over to him. Slapping his friend on the back, Kaito said, "Come on, I came here so we could talk about that idea I had over the phone, you know the one where you-"

Kaito found his words unable to continue, as Gakupo slapped a hand over his mouth. Grabbing both Len and Kaito by the back of their jackets, he dragged them rapidly up the stairs and into his bedroom, where he threw them onto the ground before cautiously locking his door. As the two complained, Gakupo whispered, "Do you have any idea what would have happened if my brother came home before I did today? He would have slaughtered you two!"

Len shut up and exchanged glances with Kaito. The two knew all too well how grumpy Gakupo's older brother was after a long day at the office with his father; it didn't help that Gakupo had been chosen as the successor to the business center in Tokyo and that Kaito had caught the eye of the woman who had originally been smitten with Gakupo's brother. Settling themselves down on Gakupo's rug, the two boys lounged before Len said, "Okay, well sorry for just arriving unannounced then. When's your dad sending your brother off to another city to take care of the business center there? I want to be able to come over to your house without fearing for my health."

Slumping in a nearby chair, Gakupo sighed, "He's going in two weeks, can't you guys wait just a little longer? Besides, Nii-san's only mad because he wanted the Tokyo center and Dad said he's giving it to me when I graduate. Apparently I'm to be the successor to the business over all, and that irritated him. He doesn't hate me, but he grumbles into his food at dinner."

Kaito looked over at Len, who just shrugged before sighing too. "Whatever, we didn't come over to talk about your weird brother anyways. We came here because Kaito has a fantastic idea that I think you ought to go through with."

"But betting on a GIRL? Come on guys, that's low even for you!"

Sitting back, Len pouted while Kaito reasoned with their friend. "Gakupo, we're not REALLY betting on her. I'm just saying, if you can get this girl to fall for you than you can make ANY girl fall for you. Besides, aren't you tired of being teased by everyone for being the virgin president?"

Gakupo flushed a bit at his infamous nickname. As much as he hated being called names though, the thought of what his friends were suggesting made him feel sick to his stomach. He'd never truly gone after a girl, let alone gone after one with the intention of winning a bet. It made him feel like a complete jerk.

Seeing their friend deflating a bit, Len said, "Gakupo, it's not really that bad. I mean, all we're saying you have to do is get her to be yours. You're not just going to use her and then dump her, you've got to date the girl for a bit too."

"Dating her for a little bit and then having sex doesn't make me any less of a user," Gakupo pointed out, but his words were stopped when Kaito growled, "Don't think of it that way! Didn't you ask us to help you be like us? Don't you want to be popular?"

Fired up, Gakupo cried out, "Of course I do!"

With a smirk, Kaito sat back and high-fived Len before saying, "Great! So then basically the bet is this; if you can make Megurine Luka yours by the end of the school year, all the guys will stop calling you virgin president and will tell all the girls how cool you are. If you can't do this, then they're going to call you virgin president for the rest of the time you're at school."

Gakupo paled before saying, "You mean the whole school's going to know about this?"

"Nah, only the boys," Len said as if to reassure him. "After all, you know that the girls would stop it, or tell Luka. Are you in or not?"

For a second, Gakupo hesitated as he looked at his friends. The two of them smiled at him, holding their hands out to him in an encouraging manner as if to tell him it would be alright. The purple-haired teen closed his eyes and thought of the girl he'd met that day. He thought of her long pale pink hair, and her intelligent and calm blue eyes. He thought of her happy, innocent smile and how soft her hands were. Then he thought (guiltily) of her soft pink lips and the way her hips swayed when she walked, her long legs and curves etching themselves into his memory.

Making a girl like that his would definitely make him feel better…

Opening his eyes, Gakupo clasped his friends' hands in agreement. While the two boys cheered raucously and began calling up every guy in the school, Gakupo sat back and felt something twist in his chest. With a frown, he reassured himself that he wouldn't be hurting her before turning to watch his friends as they spread news of the bet throughout the school.

* * *

**And so begins the Gakupo's journey to being labeled a 'bad boy'. XD For some reason, I'm intrigued with the idea of him being super innocent and nice and gangly. I just think he could be really innocent, just as easily as he could be a total player the way he's been portrayed in a lot of the stories I've read XD**

**Also, I know Kaito kind of seems like a jerk but he's just doing it for his friend XD He and Len just want to see him become more 'manly' and they're trying to help boost his reputation amongst the guys.**

**Okay, rant over. Thanks for all the reads and reviews, and all I'll see you all next year, along with more updates!**  
**Have a happy new year! :)**


	4. Chapter 4

_Chapter Four-Fitting In_

The next morning Luka stood in front of the academy, awkwardly waiting by the gates as students in pristine uniforms filed past her and whispered. The strangest part of the whispering was not that they appeared to be whispering about her poor clothes and her patched up satchel; more than one boy had looked at her and snickered under his breath. It didn't make her feel any better about attending this school.

Just as Luka was despairing of ever finding Rin, she felt someone tap her on the shoulder. Turning around, she found herself face to face with Len, who looked irritated at something. Blonde hair in sleep-ruffled spikes, the attractive teen gave her a half-smile before saying, "Come on, Rin's waiting for you in the council room. She just got your uniform a few minutes ago, and you can change up there."

"Oh, thanks." Luka said, surprised that he'd come all the way down to the gates just to get her. She'd expected Rin herself to do so, if not Gakupo. Although she was unable to really place her finger on it, she got the feeling that Len wasn't trying as hard to befriend as he had been the day before. It was like she'd been declared off limits to the obvious playboy, although she couldn't tell why. Thinking that maybe it was Miku and Rin's interference, Luka silently thanked the two as she and Len entered the school.

**xxxxXXXXxxxxXXXXxxxxXXXXxxxx**

"What!? I told Luka that I would get her from the gates and give her the uniform! Now she's going to think I'm totally untrustworthy!" Rin complained, smacking her brother as he told her that Gakupo would be giving Luka her uniform. Just as Rin was about to storm off, Miku and Kaito appeared. All smiles, Miku waved and said, "Hey, Rin, what's wrong? You need help?"

Rin was about to say something when Len interrupted smoothly, rubbing his head as he complained, "All I did was give little Gakupo an opportunity to get close to our new friend Luka. What's wrong with that?"

Blinking, Miku turned to look at Rin who was chewing the inside of her cheek in frustration. Exploding, Rin slapped her brother again and said ferociously, "At the risk of ruining a friendship that I might have with her! Miku, tell him off!"

Len took a step back from his sister and turned to look at Miku, giving her a pleading look. As if to make his case more believable, he said low, "I just want Gakupo to be really good friends with her…who knows, they could end up together." At this, Rin looked like she was about to explode when Kaito seconded the thought.

"Good idea," Kaito said, causing Miku to look at him suspiciously. As both girls turned on the blue-haired boy, he looked back down at them without giving a trace of guilt as he said, "I mean, they probably can't stay together forever since he's rich and she's not, but I think they'd make a good couple don't you?" The two boys let the idea sink into the girls' heads for a minute before Rin looked a Miku. Anger gone, the blond girl shrugged and turned on her heel towards the classroom.

"That better be the only intention you two have," Rin grumbled under her breath, while Miku turned to Kaito and smiled innocently, causing Kaito to grit his teeth to keep the guilt from showing. Happily, Miku bounced after Rin, saying, "They really would be a cute couple, huh? I mean they're both so tall, and good looking and innocent…" As her voice trailed off, Len patted Kaito on the shoulder.

"Why do you always get that face every time you try and trick Miku?" Len asked, knowing the answer full well as Kaito hid his eyes with his hair and elbowed his friend.

"Just shut up. Let's go to class already."

As the two boys walked off after the girls, Len mused aloud, "I hope Gakupo makes the best of this opportunity. I don't want him to lose this bet and be called 'virgin president' forever."

**xxxxXXXXxxxxXXXXxxxxXXXXxxxx**

As Gakupo offered Luka the packaged clothing, he tried to keep his blush from showing. Slipping the clothes into her hands, he bowed a little and said in as smooth a voice he could, "I'll show you to the dressing room. Come on."

Without question, Luka fell into step behind him and Gakupo nervously looked at his watch, noting the time that class would start. He hadn't fully thought out how he was going to get this girl, though he knew Len had given him this opportunity alone with her and he wasn't going to waste it. Accordingly so, he asked over his shoulder, "How…how are you liking Kaisei so far?"

He was surprised when Luka sighed, before giving him a rueful sounding chuckle. "It's fine. It's nothing like any school I've ever been to before, but it doesn't bother me."

Not thinking, Gakupo asked, "You mean all the staring and whispers aren't bothering you at all?" As soon as the words left his mouth he felt his cheeks turn pink. What a terrible thing to say, calling attention to the fact that Luka was different! Turning around quickly, he went to apologize when he saw Luka was smiling at him. His cheeks went from pink to red at her pretty smile, and he ducked his head as she replied, "Not too much. I mean, it's only to be expected right?"

Feeling like a jerk, Gakupo spun around again and began to lead the way once more, muttering just loud enough that Luka heard it, "I still don't think they have any right to treat you differently. You belong here as much as anyone else who paid tuition fees."

Behind him, Luka heard his comment and felt herself blush a little. Clumsy and awkward as this student president was, he meant well. Instantly she felt bad as she thought of how she'd treated him the day before. She opened her mouth to apologize herself when they came to a stop, and he opened the door for her and said, "You'd better get changed quickly, since we have class in fifteen minutes."

Gakupo cursed himself for not being more smooth as Luka passed him and shut the door behind her. Leaning against a nearby wall, he resolved to try some of Len's signature moves when the door opened again. As Luka stepped out, he found himself flustered all over again when he took in the sight of her in the uniform.

The dark colors looked good against her pale skin, and the form fitting material did her body justice. As she tugged on the white tie at her neck, Gakupo attempted to give her a compliment.

"Luka, you look really-" As Luka looked up and met his gaze, Gakupo bit his tongue and yelped, stepping back. In doing so, he stepped on his own pant bottoms and with a crash fell onto the ground once more. While he rubbed his head and silently wished he wasn't such a klutz, he heard Luka's voice ask, "Are you alright?" When he opened his eyes again, he found himself staring straight into her face, a look of concern there. Nodding, Gakupo took the hand that she offered him and stood up, brushing off his clothes and coughing in an embarrassed manner as if to cover up what had just happened.

Deciding to continue the compliment, he stuttered out, "I'm fine. I was just going to say, Luka you look very….very nice." He watched as something like surprise flickered in her eyes before she smiled and said, "Thank you."

As he muttered to himself and led the way to the classroom, Luka blushed a bit at the compliment he'd just given her. It had been years since someone had told her she looked nice; lewd boys had always whistled at her as she walked by, or called after her but she had no interest in that. For some reason, receiving such a polite comment from this boy had her on edge, wondering whether or not he meant it of was just playing the role of nice student president. Walking a little closer, she peeked up at him from underneath her bangs.

She analyzed his pale skin, noting how nicely it contrasted with his dark hair before she stopped and chided herself on doing so. She wasn't here to look at boys, no matter how attractive or nice they might have been. She was here to find something, the way her mother had asked.

While Luka fell back a step and muttered something to herself, Gakupo clenched his hands into fists and stared at them. This wasn't going as well as he'd thought it would; how was he ever going to become smooth if every time he looked at her he got so flustered?

**xxxxXXXXxxxxXXXXxxxxXXXXxxxx**

When Luka and Gakupo entered the classroom, there was another flurry of whispers before the teacher barked at the class to settle down. While Luka went over to her seat and was pounced on by Rin and Miku, Gakupo went over to Len and Kaito's side of the room. The two boys had been watching Luka like hawks ever since she had entered the room with her new uniform on.

"She doesn't look like a poor girl with such nice clothes on, does she?" Kaito said in an awed voice. Len nodded, seconding the statement as the three peered at her closer. From the start Luka had held herself proud and high, but the clothes seemed to amplify her attitude and give her the appearance of a rich man's daughter. She was surprisingly regal, for someone who had just entered the school the day before.

The three stared at her before Len turned back to Gakupo and asked sternly, "Well? Did you make a move or something? Did you tell her how pretty she is?" When Gakupo blushed furiously, Len smacked his forehead and moved in closer.

"Look," he said, "Do you want to win this bet or not?"

"Y-yeah, but I mean I have a year and-"

"That doesn't matter! You gotta start NOW! Go ask her to stay after school today or something….tell her that you'll give her a tour of the school. Get to KNOW her so that later on you can make a move. Now get over there and ask!" As if to punctuate his last words, Len kicked Gakupo in the direction of the girls and watched with satisfaction as his trembling friend walked over to them. Looking over at Kaito, the two boys exchanged glances before turning their gazes back to Gakupo.

At Gakupo's approach, Miku winked at Rin before she turned to Luka. Giggling, Miku said, "Looks like Gakupo has something to ask you. We'll see you at lunch!" Not giving Luka anytime to protest or call after them, the Miku dragged Rin off just as Gakupo approached. Wondering what he could possibly want, Luka stared at him until he sat down in the desk next to hers and cleared his throat. Doing his best not to stutter, Gakupo took a deep breath before looking up to meet her eyes.

"I was wondering….would you like a tour of the school? If you stay after school today, I'd be more than happy to show you around…" Gakupo braced himself for a rejection, while Luka's forehead crinkled in thought. Then, without anymore hesitation, she gave him a breathtaking smile. "Sure, why not?" she agreed, smiling at him innocently. Gakupo thanked his lucky stars that he'd been sitting; his legs would have given out on him otherwise. Somehow managing to gather himself together again, he stood up and said hurridly, "Great! I'll see you after school then, bye!"

As he stiffly marched over to his desk and got the thumbs up from Kaito and Len, he failed to notice Luka's blush.

**xxxxXXXXxxxxXXXXxxxxXXXXxxxx**

"So exactly why did you decide to become student president anyways? I mean, the role fits you perfectly but…" Luka let her voice trail off as she walked next to Gakupo, looking up at him. The two had long finished the tour of the school; halfway through it they'd started talking normally to each other and had forgotten all about the original intention of their meeting.

With a shrug, Gakupo looked away with a smile and said, "I kind of wanted to be popular, like Len and Kaito. I mean, they're like the idols of the school and I'm just the studious third wheel between the two of them."

"Popular?" Luka asked, before laughing. As Gakupo turned to her in surprise, she giggled and said, "Who cares so much about being popular? Isn't it better to have a few good friends than a bunch of nameless faces who know you when you don't know them?"

_I wasn't referring to that kind of popular, but she's right,_ Gakupo thought to himself, before he smiled at Luka. "You're surprisingly philosophical for being, what, sixteen?" he teased her, suddenly feeling more bold around the pink-haired teen.

With another laugh, Luka elbowed him lightly and said, "Oh come on, it's true! Don't give me any of that crap about high school being nothing but a giant food chain where the popular ones come out on top and everyone else is just fodder." This got Gakupo laughing, and he opened his mouth to say something when he saw Luka looking at her watch.

"Hey, I gotta go," she said, starting to walk back. Suddenly remembering the bet again, Gakupo asked desperately, "But uh, what about the rest of the tour?"

"It's fine!" Luka waved it off, and while Gakupo frantically began to wonder how to keep her, she turned and started to walk off. Just as he moved to call after her, she stopped and turned to him. Her face wreathed in her large innocent smile, she said, "Thank you, Gakupo. I had a lot of fun. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

All thought of the bet vanished as the purple-haired teen realized that she'd said his name for the first time since meeting. With a goofy smile on his face, he waved back as she walked off and left him. It was a phone call that snapped him out of his daze, and when he picked it up he found himself being yelled at.

"_Dude, she's LEAVING. Weren't you supposed to take her up to the roof and try and make a move there?"_

While Len's voice chewed him out over the phone, Gakupo slowly grew serious again. Len was right. This was no time to start acting like a middle schooler in love.

It was time to get serious about this bet.

* * *

**He's having such a hard time because he's never gone after a girl before, let alone someone like Luka XD He's still heading down a dangerous path though...and Len and Kaito have an idea to 'help' him that's going to start changing his perspective :P**

**But that's in the next chapter so I have to finish it first XD Anyways, thanks for the reads and reviews, you guys are awesome and I hope you are having a GREAT first day of the new year! :)**


	5. Chapter 5

_Chapter Five- The Night Club_

It was Kaito's idea.

Well, in all actuality it had been at Len's insistence, but nevertheless it had been Kaito who'd suggested it. After Gakupo had met up with his two friends and been scolded for letting Luka leave so early, he protested to them.

"I can't do it…I just can't seem to see her as an ordinary girl! She's so pretty, and…." Gakupo's voice trailed off miserably while Len and Kaito exchanged looks of exasperation. Sitting back in the chair as the driver pulled up to Kaito's estate, Gakupo put his head in his hands while Len patted him on the shoulder.

"This is bad," Len mouthed at Kaito, who nodded thoughtfully. The two boys knew all too well that their friend was innocent and inexperienced with girls, but they hadn't counted on Gakupo feeling like this was a middle school crush. Part of making sure Gakupo wouldn't be hurt when the bet was over meant that he couldn't fall in love with Luka, since he had to break up with her after he'd finished what the bet entailed.

As the three got out of the car, Kaito's eyes suddenly lit up and he turned around and smiled devilishly at his two friends, both of whom looked back at him with confusion in their eyes.

"Why don't we go out tonight?" Kaito suggested. "We'll go to a club and show Gakupo how to get girls. Besides who know? He might get on himself and that could help him out with this whole affection thing." At the suggestion, Len nodded in agreement and released Gakupo's shoulder.

The two began to plan things out when Gakupo looked up at them and said in a dead voice, "I don't think I can do this you guys…"

With a frown, Len argued, "Come on, Gakupo. You've got to learn that just because a girl pays you attention it doesn't mean anything. They're just as fickle as we are; they see a good looking guy and go after him for a while, until they find a better looking one. They're just as bad as we are!"

"Somehow I doubt that Luka is like that," Gakupo said dryly. Giving his friend a stern look, Kaito punched him roughly in the shoulder and lectured, "All girls are like that. Even Rin with all her critiscims of Len changes her mind frequently about who she likes. She's as much of a player as he is."

"Yeah, and Miku-" Len started, before getting a glare from Kaito. As the blonde boy meekly cut off, Kaito turned back to face his mansion and said in a strong voice, "Let's go, you guys."

**xxxxXXXXXxxxxxXXXXXxxxxXXXXxxxx**

"Luka, how come you've been so late the past two days?" Oliver sulked as he sat on the ground playing with a train set. Luka turned from the bookshelf where she'd been putting things away and exchanged looks with Meiko, who was fixing the bed. Turning to Oliver, Luka said, "I've just been doing more things at school, that's all."

Oliver didn't appear shocked at the news, and as he pushed his toy train forward he sighed, "I know, I asked the head maid about it today after you left for school. But why do you have to stay, what school is it?" Luka sighed and put the rest of the books away before saying, "Kaisei Academy."

Eyes wide, Oliver scrambled to his feet and said in wonder, "Really? Wow! My mom went there you know!" With a smile, Luka came over and patted him on the head, saying, "Really? I didn't know that. I thought she went to a different school."

Slowly sinking back to the ground, Oliver mused, "Well she studied over in Europe for a bit and that's how she met dad, but all her friends went to Kaisei with her. They always talk about when I attend their lame tea parties so I know all about it."

Meiko sighed and turned to dusting the dresser as she complained, "Only rich people go there, I don't know our Luka here has to go there and get scorned by all those fancy kids."

"Are they making fun of you, Luka? I'll fix them good, who's teasing you?" Oliver put his hands into fists, and growled, causing Luka and Meiko to smile at each other. Holding in her laughter at the little boy's overprotectiveness, Luka bent down and hugged him. "Oh, I'm fine," she told her young charge, as he blushed and smiled at her happily. Sitting back down, Oliver started to play with his toys again while Meiko mused aloud, "Well, maybe Luka will marry someone rich and then she won't have to be a maid anymore."

Oliver's eyes widened and he looked up and tugged Luka's skirt. "You can't date anyone from that school, Luka! I don't want you to leave!" he protested. "You have to wait for me to grow up so I can marry you!"

Meiko held in furious giggles while Luka turned the same color as her hair. With another smile, Luka ruffled Oliver's hair and said, "I'll do what I can, Oliver. Besides, I don't think there's anyone too interested in me…"

"There better not be…I won't let anyone take you away, Luka!" While Oliver tugged her down to the floor to play with him, Luka's mind went to Gakupo. As she began to think about him, she was snapped out of her daze when Oliver said, "Oh yeah, there is something I forgot to tell you guys earlier when we were talking about Kaisei. Luka, you're not the first commoner to go to that school, my mom said that there was an upperclassman at the time who was a poor girl. Her name is infamous apparently…Luka, what's infamous mean?"

Luka blinked and muttered, "I'm not the first?" while Meiko explained infamous to the little boy. Catching Luka's eye, Meiko asked nicely, "Oliver?"

"Hmm?"

"Why don't you ask your mom about that person at the next tea party and tell us, okay? I'm sure Luka wants to know…right Luka?"

Oliver turned to look at the pink-haired teen, who smiled and nodded eagerly. "Alright, if Luka wants to know I can ask!" The little boy said, before returning to pushing his train. Meiko and Luka exchanged glances again over his head.

If Luka wasn't the first, could it have been someone with a connection to her mother?

**xxxXXXXxxxxXXXXxxxxXXXXxxxx**

Gakupo felt slightly sick as he, Len and Kaito entered the night club. Bright lights pulsated everywhere, and it was far too crowded for his liking. Besides that, being taller than average made Gakupo stand out in the crowd. Everyone stared as the three boys passed, and as girls giggled and pointed Len elbowed Gakupo who was growing stiffer by the minute. Seating themselves at a small round table on an upper level that overlooked the dance floor, Kaito turned to their now sweaty friend.

"Gakupo," Kaito said sternly, sounding more serious than the purple-haired teen had ever heard him sound, "Don't freeze up alright? We're going to get flooded by girls any minute now, and I want you to act casually around them. When you look at one, just remember that they're not here because they have innocent intentions. They're here because they're just as bad as Len and I am."

"But what if-"

"Gakupo," Len cut off their nervous friend. "Trust us. Girls don't talk to guys in clubs unless they want one thing and one thing only. Just remember that they're not special and you'll be okay. If you can do this tonight, than you can treat Luka the same way and have her before the year is even halfway over. Then you can finish this bet and everyone will think you're as cool as me and Kaito."

At the words 'as cool as me and Kaito', Gakupo straightened up and looked at the crowd. His friends were right; it was time for him to man up and be just as awesome as they were. As a group of three girls slowly began to approach the table, Gakupo felt his insides twist nervously. Just before he could react, Len muttered, "Relax, Gakupo. They're not going to eat you."

By this point, the three had made it to the table and were standing there giggling. The tallest one of the group stepped forward, and in a high voice asked, "Do you three mind if we sit with you? We can't seem to find an empty table…"

Gakupo looked around and noticed several empty tables. He was about to point them out when Len kicked him smoothly under the table and flashed the girls a grin. They giggled as Len replied, "Sure, sit down. We don't mind the company of pretty girls."

Taking that as initiative to sit closer to the boys, the girls all spread out around the table. Each seemed to have picked a certain guy; one immediately scooted closer to Kaito, while another asked Len if he didn't mind sharing a chair as she wanted to look over the dance floor. The last one sat very close to Gakupo, flashing him a mischievous smile before her foot lightly tapped his. Inwardly panicking, Gakupo turned to his friends to ask for help but found that they were full on flirting.

While Len wrapped his arms around his girl's waist and Kaito slyly leaned closer to his girl, Gakupo felt a high heel making its way up his leg. Realizing that the girl was rubbing her foot on his leg, he turned to her and she flashed him another smile before asking, "I've never seen you in the club before, or your friends. Is this your first time out around town?"

Thinking quickly, Gakupo imitated Len and said, "No, but I've never been here. Have any good suggestions for drinks?" He let his hand slowly slide from his knee to the girl's, all the while gritting his teeth and praying that he wouldn't blush or get slapped off. To his surprise, the girls only smiled and leaned in closer, allowing his hand to slide up her leg a little further as she whispered seductively in his ear, "I have a lot of good suggestions, and not just for drinks. Why don't we go down to the bar though, and pick something out for you?"

**xxxxXXXXxxxxXXXXxxxxXXXXxxxx**

At the end of the night, when the guys all piled into the car and ordered the driver to take them home, the three were beyond satisfied. Gakupo sat in his seat, frozen with shock at what had happened while Len and Kaito high-fived each other.

He'd been so…BOLD. Never before had Gakupo treated a girl like that, let alone grabbed one at the waist and allowed her to kiss him. Sure, it had been a little awkward for him because he didn't know what to do when she pressed her lips to his, but the girl had just called him 'sweet' and continued her attacks anyways.

Looking over at Gakupo, Len smirked and said, "See? I knew you could do it! And that was only the first time-we're gonna start going out regularly, so you can get used to it. You did well, Gakupo! If only the guys from school could've seen you!"

With a pleased blush, Gakupo said, "You really think so? She even gave me her number…" As he reached in his pocket, he produced a crumpled up napkin with the girl's name and number on it. She's pressed it into his hand before Len and Kaito had dragged him off to head home. Looking down at the number, Gakupo smiled a little as he thought of the girl until Kaito reached forward and grabbed it.

"Get rid of it," he told Len, who proceeded to rip it up. While Gakupo blinked and looked on in horror, Len explained, "You didn't go to get attached, right? We went so you could learn the opposite of that. Just remember that everything that happened tonight wasn't special. You can do that with any girl, even Megurine Luka."

When the napkin was thoroughly shredded, Len and Kaito exchanged more high-fives and Gakupo turned to look out the window. As the car passed buildings and dancing lights, he thought of Luka's innocent smile and his chest twisted a bit again. How could Luka even be compared to the girl from the club?

His eyes widened when he realized he was treating Luka special again and he shook his head. Len and Kaito were right; all he needed was some more practice and he could start looking at Luka like she was any other girl.

Luka was just another girl that could easily be persuaded, and all he'd have to do it play the part right and win this bet.

* * *

**Oh Gakupo...why...XD **

**Anyways, thanks all for reading and the reviews, you guys are pretty awesome :) See you with the next update tomorrow!**


	6. Chapter 6

_Chapter 6-Etched in Stone_

The next day Luka found herself looking for Gakupo. Despite both Rin and Miku's friendships, Luka now knew more about Gakupo than she did about anyone else in the school. Somehow, it made her pleased to know that she was close to the shy, awkward president. As the tall girl looked around the class though, she noticed Miku and Rin walk in together. Rin looked angry about something, and Miku was trying to calm her down when she spotted Luka. Smiling, Miku grabbed Rin's arm and the two headed over to talk to Luka.

While Rin sat down and grumbled about something, Miku greeted their friend. "Hiya, Luka! What's up?" With a smile, Luka said her good mornings before turning to Rin. Curiously, she watched the blond girl mumbling under her breath before leaning closer to Miku and whispering, "What's up with Rin?"

"Oh, she's just mad because Len, Kaito, and Gakupo went out last night and ended up drinking a lot. They ended up spending the night at Kaito's, and Len called her last night just to tell her that they weren't going to come to school today." Miku frowned a bit. "You know, that's the first time I think Gakupo's ever gone with them; normally he studies after school. I wonder what's gotten into him."

Hearing that Gakupo wasn't coming to school, Luka deflated a little bit before realizing that she'd been looking forward to seeing him again. Turning pink at the idea, she muttered, "Well, I guess he just wanted to try and have fun or something…"

The normally peppy Miku frowned even more. The blue-haired teen was all for seeing Luka end up with Gakupo; she thought that the two complimented each other, both with looks and personality. Luka seemed so sure of herself, while Gakupo was a loveable but clumsy guy. Somehow, Miku didn't like the idea that Kaito and Len had dragged Gakupo along with them to a club. She opened her mouth to say something when the door to the classroom swung open and Gakupo walked in, looking slightly miserable due to a headache.

Standing as straight as he could, he motioned a surprised Rin over, and while the two discussed something that appeared to be student council duties Miku turned back to Luka. "Seems his sense of duty can't keep him from school," Miku said with some relief in her voice. She watched as Luka smiled a little before laughing lightly and saying softly, "Yeah, he seems like that type."

Luka and Miku watched as Rin nodded and left the classroom, while Gakupo walked over to them and sat down carefully, holding a hand to his head. He attempted to smile at Luka, but found himself unable to as his head pounded.

All the drinks from the night before had helped boost his confidence, but they didn't do much for him now that he was in school and acting once again as the student president he had to be. With a little bit of a groan, he muttered, "That's the last time I let Len give me anything. No more drinks for me, just water."

Hearing what he'd said, Miku scolded, "Gakupo, you of all people ought to be more responsible! Besides, why did you go out with Len and Kaito anyways?" Out of the corner of his eye, Gakupo snuck a peek at Luka before mumbling, "No reason in particular. Anyways, Rin's about to do morning announcements so let's all go to our seats alright?" Not giving Miku time to say anything, he stood up and slunk off to his desk while Rin's voice came over the PA and announced that the date of the open house had been changed.

Gakupo sighed and rifled through the papers, the thought of the kisses from the girl the night before still lingering slightly on the edge of his mind. It was hard to forget a first kiss, no matter how 'meaningless' it was supposed to be, although for some reason when he'd looked over at Luka today he'd felt like going to the club the night before had been a waste. Besides that, he'd fallen behind on his work and as a result had had to move the Open House night up a whole week. It wouldn't be impossible, but it meant that in order to do everything properly he'd have to overwork more.

He snuck another peek over his shoulder at Luka, watching as she smiled and waved Miku good-bye as the blue-haired girl left for her own seat. When he stared too long, Luka caught his eye and smiled at him, causing a blush to flood his cheeks before he quickly whipped his head around to stare at his papers again.

Maybe this whole 'meaningless love' thing was going to be harder than he thought.

**xxxXXXXxxxxXXXXxxxxXXXXxxxxXXXXxxxx**

Just before Luka packed up her things and left for the end of the school day, Gakupo nervously approached her desk. He'd spent the entire day coming up with this idea, and he knew that if Len and Kaito heard about it they'd approve. Rather than spending more time at clubs and flirting with women there, he was going to try his newfound techniques on Luka, and there was only one way to do that: by spending more time with her.

As he shuffled his feet awkwardly and coughed, Luka looked up at him and watched curiously. She'd noticed that he seemed a little more sure of himself than the previous two days, especially when talking to her. Part of that had to have been the time they spent together the afternoon before, but all the same Luka was somewhat cautious as to why he was suddenly bolder around her.

Without biting his tongue, Gakupo asked, "Luka I was wondering…would you mind helping out the council with the Open House? I know you're not really part of this school yet and well….I want to include you. I want to make you feel welcome." Half of his intentions were honest, as he really did want her to be included. The other half of Gakupo though thought that in doing so, he'd have more rights to be closer to her than anyone else.

While he shuffled his feet a little more waiting for Luka's answer, the pink-haired teen finished packing up the rest of her stuff thoughtfully. She knew that as a caretaker to Oliver Markwell, it was her duty to come home on time and do her job, but the idea of being involved in this school and being welcomed was enticing. Also, the idea of spending more time with someone as interesting as Gakupo was more than enough to make her want to say yes.

Finally, Luka said, "I…I'll ask my employer if it's alright but I'd love to help." At Luka's answer, Gakupo felt immense relief and a large smile wreathed his face as he said, "Really?" Seeing how happy he was, Luka smiled herself and said, "Really."

As she walked off with Miku and Rin, Gakupo smiled to himself before remembering once again that it was all part of the bet. Admonishing himself, Gakupo went to pack up his own things, although he was still aware of the fact that Luka's smiles seemed to be a lot more special to him than they should have been.

For a second he was tempted to call Kaito or Len and ask them for help, but then the purple-haired teen decided against it. This was HIS bet to win…and besides that, Gakupo reassured himself, turning off feelings for someone could be easy. He wouldn't tell either of his friends and they wouldn't try and drag him off to a club again. Somehow Gakupo didn't think he could handle another night like that, let alone another girl as forward as the one he'd met at the club.

Even if he DID end up liking Luka, it wasn't as if he was going to fall head over heels for her.

**xxxxXXXXxxxxXXXXxxxxXXXXxxxxXXXXxxxx**

"So Oliver, you ask yet?" Meiko questioned her charge as she sat on the floor helping the little boy piece together a puzzle. The two of them were alone that afternoon, as Luka had been asked to help in the kitchen where they were a maid short. While Oliver had fussed and pleaded that Meiko be sent to help instead, the head maid had ignored his requests and taken Luka instead, claiming that the pink-haired teen was more obedient and would get along with the other maids better.

Not looking up from the puzzle, Oliver asked her back, "Maybe. Why do you and Luka want to know so much anyways?" When Meiko didn't answer, the little boy looked up at her and stuck his tongue out at the older woman.

"I'm not as dumb as you treat me you know," he said pointedly. "I may only be ten, but I know a lot more than you think I do. Like I know that Luka's mom is the one who told her to go to that school."

Meiko rolled her eyes; while Oliver absolutely adored Luka, he was more honest and manipulative around her. Part of it was how she treated him tough, but another part of it was that Oliver was more for impressing Luka than he was for impressing her. Leaning forward, Meiko said, "Isn't that Luka's business to tell you what her mom wanted?"

Waving this off, Oliver hissed, "I don't wanna ask her! What if I make her sad? Besides Meiko, you know Luka best, even better than me. I want to help Luka too, especially since-"

"Yeah, yeah, since you like her. I know, kid, I know."

Oliver glared at Meiko for interrupting, but the woman just grinned before stating, "I don't actually know what Luka's mom wanted. Luka herself doesn't know. When Miss Megurine died, she left Luka a letter that told her to attend Kaisei with the money she'd been saving for years and some really cryptic instructions. I don't remember all of what is says exactly, but apparently there's someone there that Miss Megurine knew who went to that school and she wants Luka to find this person. If you ask me, I just think her mom wanted to get her noticed by a rich guy so she could marry well and be set for life."

At this last statement, Oliver pouted and muttered, "I'd marry her. I just have to grow up first, that's all."

Meiko hid a chuckle; Oliver was so serious about his intent to take care of Luka that it was endearing. Smiling, the woman patted him on the head and reassured him, "Sure you will. Look, can you just find out about this person who went to Kaisei? It might help Luka, you know."

With a sigh, the little boy gave Meiko an ornery look before replying, "Only if it'll help Luka. I'm not doing it because you asked, I'm only doing it for her."

"That's fine, that's fine," Meiko waved off his attitude before the two looked back down at the puzzle they were working on. While Oliver fitted pieces together and lay them carefully where they belonged, Meiko's thoughts turned to her friend.

In her mind, there was already a suspicion that the 'infamous commoner' who'd attended Kaisei before was more closely related to Luka than they'd originally thought.

**xxxxXXXXxxxxXXXXxxxxXXXXxxxxx**

The next week Luka found herself waiting in the near empty council room with Gakupo. It was the first day that the council was supposed to be meeting to discuss things for the open house, but as no one was showing up Gakupo was starting to grow agitated. Just as he was getting ready to give up completely, Rin burst into the council room with Len trailing behind. The blond girl looked furious, while her twin looked bored. Seeing his two friends, Gakupo all but screamed, "Where is everyone!?"

"Not here," Rin snapped, every bit as frustrated as her friend. "I went around asking but apparently everyone was busy today. It's just us three and Luka." At this news, Luka looked over nervously at Gakupo. For the last hour he'd been growing more and more agitated, and she all but expected him to explode now that he knew no one was coming. True, the meeting had been moved from its original date, but somehow Luka thought that everyone was just ditching because it had been announced that a nearby mall was having an extreme sales blowout. Like it or not, most of the kids who were on the council were either gone to shop for clothes or games.

While Luka watched, Len noticed she seemed nervous as to what would happen. Catching her eye, he gave her a reassuring wink before nodding back at where Gakupo had turned to face the window. The three teens watched as the student president turned around with a focused and sturdy look. Luka blushed a bit, noting the strength in Gakupo's eyes and the manner in which he held himself; compared to the normal way he acted, there was a seriousness which drew her to him.

Having forgotten all about the bet, Gakupo stood up straight and began to make orders. "Rin, I want you to check the prices of caterers, musicians, and wait staff. Make sure you note everything and then check what our budget is limited to before you book anything. Len, I want you to send out to the printers and have a hundred invitations made. Send them to the middle schools that feed into Kaisei. In addition to this, speak to the principals of each school and persuade them to come to our Open House to give a speech about their own experiences at Kaisei." As Rin and Len nodded and ran off, Gakupo took a deep breath and turned to Luka.

"Do you mind helping?" he asked, as Luka marveled at how different Gakupo seemed. Shaking herself out of her fascinated stare, she replied, "I don't mind. I'll help. When is this event supposed to happen?"

"Next week. I want you to speak to the different clubs in the school and inform them as to what they should do. I have it all written out here, on this flyer." As Gakupo handed her the paper, their hands brushed lightly and he snapped out of his president mode for a second, blushing at her touch. Jerking his hand back instantly, he coughed, "That's…that's all I have for you. I'll take care of writing my speech and speak to all the teachers myself."

Just before Luka passed through the door, Gakupo hesitated and called out, "Luka?" The pink-haired girl paused in the doorway for a second before Gakupo looked down and said, "Never mind."

**xxxxXXXXXxxxxXXXXxxxxXXXXXxxxx**

"What does this fool think he's doing?" Rin crossed her arms as she stood in front of a sleeping Gakupo. She had half a mind to wake him up when her brother entered the room and came over to her side. Looking down at their sleeping friend, Len smiled exasperatedly and said, "Let's just leave him. He's done a lot of stuff today, and so have we. Come on, Rin, let's go home already."

"We can't just leave him here though, he'll get sick," Rin pointed out, but Len was already halfway out the door. Pausing in the doorway he called back softly, "Nah, Luka's still here. She was just doing rounds at the clubs, so she's bound to come back any second now. I get the feeling she can help him out." As Len left, Rin threw one last glance at Gakupo before placing the notebook on the table and following her brother out.

A few minutes later, Luka came into the room. For a second she realized how quiet it was, then her gaze traveled over to where Gakupo was slumped over on the table dead asleep. Walking over to him softly, she sat down on the table and looked down at him.

_He sleeps with such a gentle look,_ she thought, smiling to herself before reaching down to move the speech out from under Gakupo's head. Just as she got the last of the paper out from underneath him though, Gakupo jerked upright, and shouted in alarm. With a little squeak of surprise, Luka jumped off the table and watched as the purple-haired teen looked around in a daze, before he realized how late in the afternoon it was. Then, looking at Luka, he seemed to realize he'd been asleep and he turned a bright shade of red. He was about to say something when she giggled and said, "You're fine, I'm sure you were tired and deserved a good rest. Do you want me to go get you a drink or something?"

Gakupo stared at her before a smile breached his own face, and he stood up and shook his head to clear it. Walking towards the door, he said, "Come on, let's both go take a break. Besides, there's still one part of the school you haven't seen yet."

**xxxxXXXXxxxxXXXXxxxxXXXXxxxxXXXXxxxx**

Luka ran to the railing and clasped it, looking down at the school grounds in excitement while Gakupo trailed behind her. After sneaking into the school's cafeteria and taking a some soda cans, Gakupo had unlocked the roof using his 'all-access' key. As Luka looked out from the railing, Gakupo walked up next to her and looked out as well. The sky was a golden shade, the bronze color of an afternoon just beginning to turn into dusk. A gentle fall breeze blew over them pleasantly, and the two stood in silence until Luka spoke.

"It's amazing."

Gakupo didn't reply, but instead looked over at her from the corner of his eye. He briefly entertained the idea of imitating Kaito and saying something along the lines of how Luka was amazing rather than the view, but when she turned to smile at him he dropped the idea. An unsettling feeling was beginning in the pit of his stomach when Luka pushed her hair behind one ear and murmured, "You're really different when you get serious."

Startled by her words, Gakupo asked without thinking, "What do you mean? Am I cool, like Len and Kaito?"

This earned him a half-smile from the pretty girl before she shook her head. Placing one hand on the rail, she pushed her hair out of her face again as the breeze picked up and said, "You're cool, but it's different from how those two are. You're more honest and hardworking…it's a wonder trait. Don't ever lose it, Gakupo."

He felt a blush coming at such nice words; trying to cover up his embarrassment, he changed the subject. "I never did show you this roof, did I? There's something up here that I've never been able to figure out, but always thought was cool."

"Really?" Luka looked intrigued. "What is it?"

Signaling her to follow, Gakupo walked over to the other side of the roof near the door and pointed at the wall. Following his gaze, Luka turned and gasped. The entire side of the wall was etched with a beautiful design; a large heart with intricate patterns was carved into the stone. There was no signature. As Luka gaped at the wall, Gakupo smiled ruefully.

"I found it when I came up here for the first time to take a break from council duties. I don't know what all those symbols inside mean, but they look cool so I've always just left it a mystery." While Gakupo kept talking, Luka suddenly noticed something and narrowed her eyes closer. Tilting her head ever so slightly, she took a step back before her eyes widened.

Etched into the stone, the symbols looked somewhat like letters. Looking harder than ever, Luka moved her eyes to the other symbols and noticed they all looked like letters, though they weren't written in Japanese.

For a minute she was tempted to ask Gakupo if he could see letters too, before she reminded herself that it was her secret that her mother had asked her to come to this school. If she appeared too interested in this, it was sure to bring up questions and Luka wasn't comfortable enough yet to ask Gakupo favors let alone tell him what was going on. Quickly, she decided that she was going to have to find more ways and opportunities to come back up to this roof and study the design.

And the only way to do that was to get closer to Gakupo, the only person with access to the roof. She blushed a bit at the thought of having to strengthen the relationship, before focusing on the patterns and reminding herself that she was only going to do so to figure out what it meant.

It wasn't as if she'd come to this school to fall in love, right?

* * *

**Long chapters yay? Nay? Well, either way, thanks for reading it :) In the next few chapters I might diverge slightly from Luka's obsession with this drawing, but don't forget about it because it's important! I'll get back to it, I promise! :) **

**Anyways, once again thanks all for reads and reviews and see you tomorrow with the next update :)**


	7. Chapter 7

_Chapter Seven-Open House_

There weren't many chances after that day for Luka and Gakupo to grow close, despite the fact that both had secretly made resolutions to strengthen the relationship. Like it or not, Gakupo was occupied with his student council work, and having asked Luka to help the pink-haired teen found herself far busier than she'd ever been. As the day of the Open House approached, each began to despair that they'd ever find a chance to talk to the other.

Another problem for Luka occurred when Oliver asked to go to the event she'd been planning. The little boy hadn't been pleased that his favorite maid was spending her days after school instead of with him. Unable to say no, Luka now had to wonder what would happen when the school found out that she was playing caretaker to a young heir. While she was already under enough scrutiny for being poor, she was sure that the whispers would increase when she showed up at the school fair with Oliver in tow.

On the other hand, Gakupo was having trouble between his work and Len and Kaito's insistence at training himself. While they no longer dragged him off to clubs to meet random women, they stayed by his side and pestered him to ask Luka out on dates. They gave him tips on how to act around girls and reminded him relentlessly that if he could get Luka to say yes to even a date it would be considered the first step. Gakupo hadn't told either of them about showing Luka the roof and how every time he saw the pink-haired girl he got a burst of happiness. He didn't want them thinking that all his 'training' was going to waste.

"I have no damn time," Gakupo swore, all but pulling hair out by the handful as he paced back and forth restlessly in his room. "It's going to be a whole month I still don't know that much about Luka despite the fact we've been working on this Open House thing together!"

From his friend's bed, Kaito looked up in a disinterested manner before turning back to the magazine that lay on the mattress. Flipping through some pages, Kaito shifted to a sitting position before saying, "Well make time. I know you've got this Open House thing, but a month will have passed by the time it ends and you've made no progress at all. Don't you want to win this bet?"

"Of course I do!" Gakupo hissed at his friend, causing Kaito to shrug before going back to the magazine. Flicking through the pages, Kaito muttered, "You've gotten touchier and you're not as calm as you normally are. Why are you freaking out so much?"

With a sigh, Gakupo rested his hand on his desk. "I'm nervous," he admitted finally, and Kaito sat up to look at his friend again at this. It was just the two of them, as Len had been dragged to the city with Rin to get a new outfit for the Open House which was to take place the next day. Normally Len would be the one to comfort Gakupo, but as things were Kaito knew he couldn't just leave his friend in his worried state.

Getting up, Kaito walked over to where Gakupo stood and gruffly threw an arm around him. While the purple-haired teen looked at his friend in amazement, Kaito muttered, "You'll be fine. Whether you're worried about this bet or the Open House, you'll be fine. You're a lot stronger than you look."

"You really think so?" Gakupo asked, suddenly feeling a lot better. Kaito, seeing that his friend was starting to get back to his normal self, let go of Gakupo and went back over to his friend's bed. Sitting himself comfortably on the bed, he returned to flipping through the magazine before reminding his friend, "Just make sure you start really talking to her as soon as this over, alright? If you can at least get her to go with you to the Winter Ball next month then you'll be able to take her on more dates afterwards."

**xxxxXXXXxxxxXXXXXxxxxxxXXXXxxxxXXXXxxxx**

As middle school students streamed into Kaisei, Gakupo looked around and gave a sigh of relief. Somehow the whole event had been pulled together perfectly, despite the initial setback of the first meeting. While Rin greeted students on one side and Len greeted students on the other, Gakupo noticed several groups of girls eyeing his friend and giggling. Seeing so many girls watching Len reminded him to look for Luka, who had said she couldn't help out but would be coming. For a second he wondered what she'd meant by that before deciding that she might have had a younger sibling she was going to attend with.

Gakupo was getting ready to go check on the other council members when he felt someone tap his shoulder. Turning around, he found himself looking down at a cluster of middle school girls. Several of them blushed, before one asked for directions to the main hall where the speeches were going to be held later on. As Gakupo willingly pointed them in the right direction, there were more giggles before they left, looking back at him over their shoulders. Walking over to Len, Gakupo asked, "Why are they giggling so much?"

Len gave his friend the same look one would give a stupid child before saying, "You're just as good looking as me or Kaito. Use that to your advantage, Gakupo." Hearing Len acknowledge that Gakupo was on his level made the president blush a little before he cleared his throat and looked around. Seeing that, Len murmured low, "Luka's not here yet, is she? Is she coming with a sibling or something?"

"I guess, she never actually said anything." Just as Gakupo turned to face Len and say more, the boys heard Rin say cheerfully, "Hey, Luka!"

Whirling around, Gakupo turned to see Luka greeting Rin, a small blond boy at her side. He looked a bit too young to be in middle school, but he was looking at the school with interest in his eyes. While Luka and Rin kept talking, the young boy looked over at Gakupo and saw him watching Luka. With a smirk, the little boy turned and reached up to grab Luka's hand. As if a reflex, Luka held his hand and kept talking to Rin, while the boy turned back to Gakupo and made a face.

"What's with that brat!?" Len muttered. "There's no way they're related. You don't think that she's his babysitter or something?"

**xxxxXXXXxxxxXXXXxxxxXXXXxxxx**

"Oh, so you take care of Oliver then?" Rin asked, looking down at the little boy with a smile. She had to admit; Oliver was a cute kid, eye patch and all. While Luka held Oliver's hand, she smiled and said, "Yeah, I'm his caretaker. I'm sure the school was bound to find out sooner or later, since I usually escort him when he wants to go out and do things and since he likes to go to the same places everyone else does…"

"Hey don't worry about it. You're not wearing a maid outfit or anything, so as long as you just tell people you're a caretaker and not a maid they can't make fun of you. It's almost like being a governess, and to be one of those you have to be pretty smart." Rin reassured Luka, who smiled at this good news. Far more than she wanted to admit, she'd been worried about what would happen when coming to the event. Luka opened her mouth to say more when Oliver squeezed her hand. Looking down, she saw him staring at Gakupo with a grouchy look on his face.

"Who's that? He's staring at you like some kind of creepy stalker," Oliver complained, and when Luka looked up she saw that Gakupo was looking at her. Trying to keep herself from blushing, she cleared her throat and told Oliver, "He's a friend of mine; the student president. He's been very nice to me so please behave around him, alright?"

Oliver didn't reply, but let Luka tug him over to where Gakupo and Len were standing. While Len and Luka exchanged hellos, Gakupo knelt down so that he was eye level with the little boy. In an attempt to be friendly despite the death glare he was receiving from the blond boy, Gakupo held his hand out in greeting and said cheerfully, "Hello, I'm Kamui Gakupo. What's your name, little one?"

"I'm Oliver Markwell," Oliver said in a haughty voice. "And I'm not that little, someday I'll grow up and be bigger than you!"

Sneaking up a glance at Luka, Oliver made sure she was absorbed in her other conversation before he smiled naughtily at Gakupo. Taking the teen's hand, Oliver dug his nails into Gakupo's hand and watched with wicked glee as the president winced. Jerking his hand back, Oliver muttered, "I know what you want from Luka. You leave her alone! Stop making her stay after school so much!"

"Huh?" Gakupo suddenly became flustered, thinking that Oliver could see him lusting after the pink-haired beauty. With a pout, Oliver frowned and said, "Don't think you can take Luka from me, she's mine. I'll never let you have her!" While Gakupo gaped, Oliver let go of Luka's hand and wrapped his arms around her waist. Looking down, Luka saw Oliver staring up at her with a happy look on his face.

"Luka, show me your classroom!" Oliver said with an expectant smile. With a gentle laugh, she placed one hand on Oliver's head and exclaimed, "Alright, hold on. Let me say hello to Gakupo too, okay?"

When Gakupo stood up and cleared his throat, he resisted the urge to glare at Oliver before turning to Luka with a smile. As Oliver buried his face into Luka's skirt, Gakupo said through clenched teeth, "He's a cute kid. His Japanese doesn't sound entirely natural though..."

Luka patted Oliver on the head again and replied, "He's half British and half Japanese. His mother actually attended Kaisei, so he insisted that I show him the school. Besides, he wanted to see where I've been spending my afternoons. He also wanted meet you guys, he's been asking about all my friends here." As Oliver squeezed her waist urgently, Luka gave another smile and said apologetically, "Well I guess we're going to go look around the school then. Sorry I couldn't help out more."

Thinking quick, Gakupo stepped forward and said, "Oh, it's no problem. Why don't I come with you? Besides Luka, I never showed you the music room."

Oliver sulked as Luka smiled and accepted the offer before looking down and asking, "Oliver do you mind waiting here with Gakupo for a second? I have to go use the restroom." Both boys fixed pained smiles on their faces at this idea. With a happy smile, her charge replied, "I don't mind! Go ahead, Luka!"

As soon as Luka was out of sight, Gakupo growled down at Oliver, "Look, I….I like Luka alright? Is there anything wrong with that?" The student president blushed a bit at having admitted to something he'd been trying to deny to himself; he liked Luka a lot more than he was willing to admit, especially as he could sense Len listening in on the conversation from a few feet away. Oliver, sensing weakness, stepped roughly on Gakupo's foot and watched with pleasure as the tall teen winced. Crossing his arms, Oliver dropped the attitude he usually used with Luka and immediately assumed the air that he used on others when he was away from her. Glaring up at Gakupo, the ten-year-old threatened, "Stay away from my Luka! A no good creep like you is only going to break her heart, you don't actually like her!"

For a second Gakupo paled, wondering how Oliver had seen through his plan until the boy complained, "Anyone who smiles creepily at her like that can't actually like her. Besides, she belongs to me so you can't have her anyways." His shoulders slumping in relief, Gakupo realized that Oliver was just accusing and speculating blindly. For a second, guilt flashed through him as Luka came back and headed over to them. While Oliver ran up to her and hugged her in greeting, Gakupo reflected on his guilt at the fact he was basically just trying to sleep with Luka. One look back at Len though erased the guilt, and straightening up Gakupo went over to Luka.

**xxxxXXXXxxxxXXXXxxxxXXXXxxxx**

The next day at school, Gakupo had the good fortune to run into Luka in the hallway. As the two stood in the hallway, Luka bowed slightly and apologized. Gakupo wondered why she was apologizing until she straightened up and said, "I'm sorry for Oliver's behavior. I'm sure that he must have done something rude, since your smile seemed kind of strained all night."

_She was paying that much attention to me?_ Gakupo thought, and he smiled to himself as he realized that she was really looking at him. Then, just as suddenly he knew he could take this apology as an opportunity the way he'd seen Kaito do with someone else before. Leaning against the wall, Gakupo shrugged and said, "It's not a big deal. He's kind of possessive of you though."

While Luka laughed, Gakupo grit his teeth and thought back to the way Oliver had stuck his tongue out when the two were leaving. Possessive was the understatement of the century. Silently, Gakupo thanked his lucky stars that Oliver was only ten and wouldn't be attending Kaisei anytime soon. Clearing his throat, Gakupo said, "But Luka?"

The pink-haired teen looked up at him to see him smiling down at her. The smile on his face wasn't the same innocent smile he normally wore; it seemed kind of dangerous. Slightly intimidated, Luka took a step back as Gakupo straightened up and loomed over her. Standing closer than he normally did, he leaned down and blew cool breath into her face. Luka blushed, before wondering why she was doing so at such weird things. While she wondered why this was making her blush, Gakupo whispered, "If you really want to apologize, there IS something you could do for me."

"Y-yeah?" Luka said, trying to sound confident but failing. Something about this Gakupo was overpowering, and for some reason she found herself enticed by it. It was the same aura that he gave off when he was ordering people around the student council, but now that he was focusing it on her…somehow the idea that he was paying her such attention had her pleased.

The corner of Gakupo's mouth lifted in a smile as he said low, "Well you see…."

* * *

**Gakupo is a better actor than Len and Kaito give him credit for XD I mean, they can't see through him entirely. And now he's pulling moves on Luka so...:P But yeah. Another chapter tomorrow :) **

**Thanks for the reads and reviews, you guys are awesome! Feel free to leave comments or criticisms, I'd love to hear from you guys what you think :) **


	8. Chapter 8

_Chapter Eight-The First Date?_

"He asked you to WHAT?" Meiko all but shrieked, causing Luka to jump on her friend and silence her. As Luka held her hands over Meiko's mouth, she made a panicked face and shushed her friend. The two were on their way to Oliver's room and Luka didn't think she could bear it if someone overheard their conversation and spread it throughout the mansion. The servants could be as ruthless with gossip as school kids. Smacking Luka's hands off, Meiko hissed low, "You're going on a date with him? I haven't even met this guy, how do I know if he's good for my Luka?"

Luka blushed as the two arrived at Oliver's door. Pausing outside, she murmured, "I…I think it'll be fun. I've never been on a date before and he's really nice."

Meiko raised an eyebrow; from what she'd heard, the student president WAS nice. Of course, that was only what Luka had told her. If Oliver was to be believed, he was some kind of womanizing demon. Deciding to support her friend, Meiko snickered, "Well, let's just keep it a secret from Oliver okay? He might have a heart attack if he finds out." Luka gave her friend a grateful smile before adjusting her headbands and knocking on the door. As Oliver called them in, Luka gave one last thought as to what would happen on the Saturday to come.

**xxxxXXXXXxxxxxXXXXXXxxxxxXXXXXxxxxx**

While Luka was excited about the idea of going on a date with Gakupo, the student president was beside himself with worry. All day he'd put up a façade of being nonchalant about the fact that he'd just asked someone on a date but as soon as school was out he'd all but dragged Kaito and Len out of the building by their necks. The two friends exchanged worried looks as they watched their friend pacing back and forth agitatedly in his room. While they were both very proud of him for using the moves and tricks that they'd taught him, both could tell that he had probably been beyond nervous when he'd done so.

Cautiously, Len stood up and placed a hand on Gakupo's shoulder. "You've got to hold in your nerves you know," he told his friend. "When you go on Saturday if you're this nervous Luka will be weirded out. I mean, I'm you best friend and I'm pretty weirded out. Just…Just calm down okay? It's only a date."

"You don't understand!" Gakupo moaned, throwing himself face first into his mattress. Len looked at Kaito, who just shrugged before Gakupo spoke again. His voice muffled from his face being in the mattress, Gakupo mumbled out, "What if I can't pull of that kind of attitude again? Luka will see that I'm not as cool as you guys and…and she'll never speak to me again!"

Len opened his mouth to comfort Gakupo once more when Kaito stood up looking irritated. Reaching over, the blue-haired teen smacked the back of Gakupo's head roughly. As Gakupo complained and looked up with tears in the corner of his eyes, Kaito put his hands on his hips and sternly said, "Get up and stop whining. If you did it once, you can do it again. Just act the same way you did at the night club and you'll be fine."

"You…you really think so?" Gakupo asked hesitantly. With a big smile, Len patted his friend on the back and encouraged, "Yeah, of course you can do it! Just be more confident and everything will turn out alright." While Len turned to Kaito and the two began planning out how the date was to go and what Gakupo was to wear, the purple-haired teen turned back to his mattress and sighed into it. He didn't want to admit it, but he felt like blushing every time he thought of how happy Luka had looked when she'd said yes to his question. Sitting up, he tried to brush off the weird feeling before joining his friends' conversation.

**xxxxXXXXXxxxXXXXxxxxXXXxxxxXXXXxxxx**

On Friday afternoon, Luka found herself pounced upon by Rin and Miku. Not giving the tall girl a chance to ask what was going on, the two dragged her into Miku's limo and threw her before getting in themselves and shutting the door. While Luka tried to get a bearing on the fact that she was in a limo, Miku complained, "Luka, why didn't you tell us Gakupo asked you on a date! Aren't we friends?"

Instantly Luka flushed a bright red. Hands up, Luka pleaded, "I'm sorry, it just happened yesterday and I wasn't sure how you two would feel…" Looking down, Luka missed the excited looks that Rin and Miku exchanged. When Rin laughed, Luka looked up and saw with relief that both of them were smiling at her. Sitting back, Rin said, "Luka, we're really happy. First off, we like you better than a lot of the other girls in school. They're all so snobby and uptight, but you're really cool. Second, Gakupo's a big dork so I was actually really surprised that he got enough courage to ask you on a date. That must mean he really likes you, so Miku and I want you to have fun on your date tomorrow."

"Wait, how did you guys even know-"

"I overheard Len talking to Kaito on the phone about something happening on Saturday, so I cornered him and got information," Rin shrugged, while Miku grabbed Luka's hands. Clasping them eagerly, Miku asked, "Can we help you get ready? We really want this to go well, and I'm sure you do to. I mean, you like him right?"

Luka blushed. While she'd kept telling herself that she was only going on this date to get closer to Gakupo and have more access to the roof, she knew she was only partially telling the truth. After seeing so many different faces of the student president, she was intrigued. Luka didn't understand how could go from being so awkward to suddenly being alluring. It was strange, and she wanted to find out more about Gakupo and see more of his interesting expressions almost as much as she wanted to get back up to the design on the roof.

Acknowledging the fact that she was growing fond of him, Luka nodded and Miku and Rin beamed at her before launching into discussions of what they wanted to do before Luka met Gakupo the next day at the train station.

While the two girls giggled and talked, Luka's mind went back to the roof for a second. She thought of her mother's letter, and she thought of the strange patterns before her thoughts were interrupted with the happy smile that Gakupo had given her after saying yes. Shaking her head to clear it of all thoughts, Luka bit her lip and told herself to focus.

She couldn't get too attached to Gakupo; just close enough to get to the roof and figure out what the designs meant.

**xxxxxXXXxxxxXXXXxxxxXXXXxxxxXXXXxxx**

Saturday morning found Gakupo shaking with nerves as his driver headed towards the train station where he'd agreed to meet Luka. As Gakupo anxiously checked the clock, Len and Kaito threw tips at him while occasionally leaning over to fix his hair or straighten his jacket. The two boys had finally decided on dressing Gakupo the same way he'd been dressed at the club. He looked just like he'd stepped out of the covers of a magazine, what with his height and purple hair. As the car pulled up to the station and idled near the curb, Len leaned in and shook his finger at Gakupo.

"Don't look at anyone but her, okay? You've got to make her feel special today, even if she's just another girl. Just stick to the plan and it'll work out alright." Len and Kaito watched as Gakupo got out of the car and shakily made his way to the front of the station where they could see a flash of pink that had to be Luka. The two friends stared after Gakupo for a minute before Len asked, "One thousand yen that he gets nervous and forgets the plan." Without looking at his friend, Kaito held out his hand and smirked, saying, "You're on. I bet a thousand yen that he'll stick to it for at least the first half hour."

**xxxxXXXXXXxxxXXXXxxXXXXx**

Luka looked around worriedly, wondering if Gakupo had forgotten about their date or had just been kidding about the whole affair. Feeling foolish for having waited five minutes past the appointed time, Luka turned to go before smacking straight into someone. Looking up, Luka opened her mouth to apologize but found herself blushing furiously instead. The person standing in front of her didn't look at all like the Gakupo she'd been working alongside for nearly a month now. As girls passed by stared openly, the tall teen with a purple ponytail dusted off his jacket before offering Luka a stunning smile.

"Gakupo? Is that you?" Luka said in a shocked voice, trying to figure out where the awkward guy she was used to had gone. While she gaped up at him, Gakupo resisted the urge to blush himself and smiled again at her, hoping that in doing so he wouldn't have to say anything. For all the work that Len and Kaito had done on him, it was obvious that Rin and Miku had gotten wind of Luka's date and had done some work of their own. Between the two of them they were attracting attention from nearly everyone who was going in or out of the train station.

"Sorry I'm late," Gakupo cleared his throat, before looking down at the ground and murmuring, "Should we get out of here? I get the feeling we're being watched." Looking around, Luka nodded before the two turned swiftly and walked into the train station.

From behind a nearby bush, Miku and Rin popped out and headed over to where they'd spotted Kaito and Len in the car. Opening the door, both girls hopped in and were about to lecture the boys when Kaito growled, "Don't even think about it. If you two are going to follow Gakupo and Luka around, so can we." As the girls fell silent, they nodded before Kaito gave the driver some directions and the car sped off. No one in the car noticed that another car was trailing them.

"Don't lose that car, driver," Oliver ordered, before sitting back and leaning against the window with a pout on his face. Meiko looked over at him before looking out the other window. Unbeknownst to Gakupo and Luka, their date was about to have spectators.

**xxxXXXxxXXXxxxXXXXxxXXXXXxxxXXXxxx**

On the train ride over to the mall where Kaito had said to go, Gakupo lost his nerve. The idea of having to walk around knowing that Kaito and the others were going to watch them made him edgy. Turning to Luka, he dropped the façade of 'cool guy' and asked in his normal manner, "Would you…would you like to do something else instead of going to the mall? I just don't really…I don't know what to do actually." Pressing back a blush, Gakupo chided himself for sounding so immature when Luka let out a laugh and asked, "You too? This is the first date I've ever actually been on."

Forgetting himself, Gakupo's eyes widened as he exclaimed, "Really? But you're so pretty, I thought that lots of guys-" As soon as the words left his mouth he bit his tongue and blushed, but it was too late. Luka laughed harder than ever before pushing her hair behind her ear and admitting, "Yeah, I got a lot of confessions in my old middle school. Most of them were just a bunch of guys who wanted something I wasn't willing to give."

At this statement, Gakupo found himself remembering the bet again and blushing all the harder for it. While he told himself not to think about it, Luka turned to him with bright eyes and asked, "But as for somewhere else to go…I've an idea. Do you like rollercoasters?"

With an eager smile, Gakupo said brightly, "Like them? They're the best part of an amusement park!" Catching onto what Luka was suggesting, Gakupo exchanged a grin with her before turning to look away with a pleased blush on his face. Mentally shredding the careful plan that Kaito and Len had laid out, Gakupo smiled even wider at the thought that he was about to do something on his own.

"That idiot…" Kaito grumbled as he dug into his pockets and handed a gloating Len some money.

* * *

**And then they proceed to have the most PG first date. Ever. Which is going to be described in the next chapter, I promise XD Anyways, thanks all for reads and reviews you guys are awesome! See you in the next update :)**


	9. Chapter 9

_Chapter Nine-Secrets and Scandals_

When the two teens arrived at school the next Monday, they blushed furiously at the sight of each other before the rest of their friends pounced on them. While Miku and Rin dragged Luka off to the restroom to interrogate her, Len and Kaito bullied their friend into an empty classroom and grilled him for details. Much to the surprise of the others, neither Luka nor Gakupo gave any exact details on what happened, but for the rest of the day when the two looked at each other they would blush and look away immediately with happy smiles on their faces.

"This doesn't look so good," Kaito told Len, who nodded in agreement as they watched Gakupo sighing into his food at his desk. He'd asked to eat lunch alone to 'do council work' but so far all he'd done was sigh into his food with a dreamy look on his face. "You don't think that the date went…TOO well, do you?" Len asked, before getting a knock on the head from Kaito. While Len complained, Kaito mumbled, "Come on, even you have to know that was a stupid question. Does Megurine Luka look like the kind of girl who would do that on the first date? I don't even think she'd do that after the first month, there was a reason that this was made into a bet. Because she's a CHALLENGE."

Len sulked before slyly looking over at Gakupo. "I'm just saying, SOMETHING good must have happened. Although I don't like the way he's mooning about over there; it means he's getting attached. Didn't we tell him not to do that?" Following Len's gaze, Kaito's eyes hardened for a second before he looked away and muttered, "Leave him be for now. We'll fix it later once we find out what it is."

"Kaito, even if he has to break up with her can't he get attached sort of? I mean, he IS kind of happy now…"

"No, Len. You can't get attached EVER. Didn't I tell that was the first rule of being a guy like me?"

With a cold glare, Kaito looked over at where Miku, Rin and Luka were all sitting happily with their food. Turning his back to them, he muttered low, "Getting attached only hurts you in the end, and I don't want to see that happen to Gakupo."

**xxxxxXXXXxxxxXXXXXxxxxXXXXxxxxXXXXxxxx**

Oliver threw a grumpy look in Luka's direction. After having realized that he and Meiko had lost her on the day of her date, Oliver had become extremely sulky and watched Luka's every movement like a hawk.

While she hummed and continued cleaning around the room, he wondered how he could recapture her interest when he suddenly remembered the conversation he'd had with his mother a few days before. For the first time since Saturday, a smile wreathed the little boy's face and he called in a sing-song voice, "Lukaaaaaa~"

Without looking over, Luka fluffed a pillow and called back, "Yes, Oliver?" She nearly tripped as Oliver exclaimed, "I found out all about that infamous student who went to Kaisei before!" Whirling around, Luka's eyes widened just as Meiko walked in with a tray full of snacks. Seeing her friend with such a face, Meiko scolded, "Oliver, what did you say to make Luka look like that?"

Oliver stuck his tongue out at the older girl before standing up and turning fully to Luka who still stood frozen by the bed. While Meiko watched, the ten-year-old went up to Luka and tugged on her skirt, snapping the tall girl out of her daze. Suddenly focused again, Luka knelt down and asked gently, "Oliver, are you going to tell me?"

Hiding a smile, Oliver shook his finger at her before declaring, "Only if you promise to do something for me first!"

Curiously, Luka tilted her head as Oliver reached up and threw his arms around her neck. Pulling her in for a tight hug, he asked, "Will you go on a date with me and do everything you and that other guy did?"

**xxxxXXXXxxxxXXXXXxxxxXXXXxxxXXXXxxx**

Rin tried hard to hold back her laughter as Miku blinked at their friend. What Luka had just told them seemed almost too comedic to be true, although the pretty girl wasn't truly upset by it. After explaining to Miku and Rin that she was caretaker to a young heir, Luka had proceeded to tell them all about how Oliver was jealous of Gakupo. Skipping around the details of why she had to do what Oliver had asked in the first place, Luka looked up at her friends with pleading eyes, as if to say she wasn't sure going on a date with her young charge was the best idea. Miku finally asked, "Luka, what exactly DID you do on your date with Gakupo? Come on, can't you tell us?"

Luka blushed furiously again before dropping her voice. "It's weird…I mean, it's not something I've ever really done before…" she asked, and both girls nodded eagerly, before leaning in to hear Luka mutter. Sitting back, Luka was surprised to see that both of them were staring at her with disappointment on their faces. Wondering what the two had been expecting, Luka muttered, "What? Is it…is it weird that I'm getting so excited over something as simple as holding hands?"

"You don't get it at all, do you Luka?" Miku giggled, while Rin rolled her eyes. "That's not that big a deal…you're so innocent!" Luka blushed even more at this proclamation, suddenly feeling like a little kid as both Miku and Rin patted her on the head and laughed. Looking away, Luka bit her tongue and didn't mention that it wasn't so much the holding hands as it was Gakupo.

While she'd had a lot of fun going on rides with him and just talking in general, she hadn't been able to stop smiling after he'd casually slipped his hand into hers. There was something so intimate about the gesture coming from him that Luka felt special, although she knew she really shouldn't.

From the other side of the room, Len and Kaito had been listening in. Exchanging looks of disgust, they got up and left the room. The two confronted Gakupo as he exited the bathroom, grabbing him by his arms and hauling him to the corner of the hallway before chiding him severely.

"You held her hand? That's IT? No kissing, no hugging, and you're blushing about it like a girl in love? What's wrong with you?" Len scolded while Kaito glared at their friend menacingly. Gakupo blushed a bit, seeming to return to his old self as he said, "I just…I don't know it's weird to talk about it to you guys because all you seem to see her is as a job. I'm trying to see it that way, but it's kind of hard to the more I get to know her. She's lots of fun."

Realizing that he'd said something strange, Gakupo bit his lower lip as Kaito shook his head. Leaning in, Kaito pressed his friend into the wall roughly. In a cold voice, the blue-haired boy said, "She's lots of fun? Is it lots of fun getting called 'virgin president'? Is it lots of fun when she realizes you're not as cool as you're pretending to be and she dumps you?" As Gakupo's face fell, Kaito left him slumped against the wall before turning around and walking off. Just before he left the hall he reminded his friend, "I'm only looking out for you, Gakupo. Don't go getting attached to someone like her; she's a poor girl in a rich school. I'm sure she's only here to marry some rich guy and live the rest of her life in an easy manner."

"Don't let her use you."

**xxxxXXXXxxxxXXXXxxxxXXXxxxxx**

As Luka and Oliver stepped out of the car, the amusement park loomed in front of them. Almost regally, Oliver walked ahead while Luka stayed a few paces behind him. After two steps however, Oliver stopped and frowned. Turning around, he thrust his hand out demandingly to Luka and she took it obligingly, not caring as nearby people snickered and looked on with interest. Buying two tickets, Oliver tugged her after him into the park.

A few paces behind, Meiko trailed the two. As she watched them get off a ride together, she sighed and shook her head. _Luka's too oblivious for her own good,_ Meiko thought to herself, watching as two good looking young teens walked up to the pink-haired girl. While Oliver pouted, Luka appeared to be giving them directions to something. As she waved good-bye to them and walked off with Oliver, the two boys threw disappointed looks at her before shrugging at each other and walking in the opposite direction. Replacing her sunglasses, Meiko followed as the two entered a café and sat down casually a few tables away. Close enough to hear but not close enough to be noticed by Oliver, Meiko propped up her menu and leaned in as Luka began to talk.

"So Oliver," Luka asked casually as the waiter left to go get their things, "What did you find out about Kaisei?"

Oliver scooted up to the front of his chair and found (much to his dismay) that his feet still didn't touch the floor. Ignoring it though, the little boy straightened up and said, "Lots of interesting things." When Luka gave him a look however, his gaze softened and he sighed. Leaning back in favor of sitting on the edge of his chair, Oliver exclaimed, "Mom said she and her friends never say that woman's name because apparently she did something unspeakable. It was some big scandal and she wouldn't tell me very much about it other than the commoner girl got expelled and the whole incident was hushed up. The only name I could get from her was Hiyama Kiyoteru."

While Luka repeated the name to herself, muttering it under her breath and wondering who the person was, Meiko pondered the name. It was a man's name, that much was obvious. Whatever happened had to have been scandalous, if a man AND a woman was involved. While there were so many possibilities as to what might have happened, Meiko's mouth twisted into a wry smile at the thought that Luka was connected.

Try as she might, Meiko couldn't help but think that Luka was about to finally found out what had happened to her father.

**xxxxXXXXxxxxXXXXxxxXXXXxxxXXXXxxxxx**

The next day at school, Luka slumped into her seat and blew her hair out of her face in a discouraged way. As hard as she and Meiko had looked, they hadn't been able to find anything on the name 'Hiyama Kiyoteru'. They'd looked in the library for old notes (with Oliver's help) and had even asked around the household but with no luck. The name remained a mystery.

While Luka sulked and turned to look out the window, Gakupo looked over at her from the corner of his eye. He hadn't forgotten Kaito's harsh words from the day before; they rang in the teen's head as he flipped pages of his council notebook without paying attention. Gakupo didn't want to assume that Luka was just here to find a man when she had acted so cold to him before. Still, if she said yes so easily to his next invitations, it would seem Kaito would be right. Turning the pages of his book, Gakupo's thoughts went to the Winter Ball that the school held annually. All the students would dress up and throw names around, as it was a flashy event for showing off just how privileged the students at Kaisei really were. Personally, Gakupo had never cared for it but had participated along with Kaito and Len. He remembered standing in the back while his two friends danced with several girls and Gakupo strengthened his resolve.

Deciding to ask her later that day, he stood up slowly as Miku came into the room and pounced on Luka. While Rin's voice came over with the announcements, Miku sat down next to Luka. When the pink-haired girl didn't answer Miku's cheerful 'good morning', Miku frowned and worriedly poked her arm.

"Luka, are you alright? You seem…well you seem really exhausted and kind of sad."

Luka, not wanting to let on that she'd spent half the night researching, waved off Miku's speculations. Straightening up, she flipped her hair out of her face and replied airily, "Oh, I was just studying late last night. That's all." Her excuse worked; without a second thought Miku dismissed the idea from her mind and exclaimed, "Okay, as long as you're sure! Because we've got other problems to worry about now….like the Winter Ball that's coming up!"

"Winter Ball? Oh yeah, I've been hearing whispers about that. What is it?"

Miku giggled before exclaiming, "It's one of the most important events of the whole year! We all dress up and dance and there's a banquet…the reason it's so important is because most of the time the upperclassmen often bring the people they've been engaged to; even ones from different schools! It's the biggest social event among us children in the business world and some parents attend and use the dance to decide whom to engage their child to."

Taking all this in, Luka blinked before asking bluntly, "So it's basically for showing off how rich you are in the hopes that someone's parents will like you and have you engaged to their kid?"

Pouting, Miku twiddled her thumbs and muttered, "Well when you put it like that…" Brightening up, the teal-haired girl smiled again and said, "And I know who's going to ask you to the dance…"

"No one in the right mind is going to ask a poor girl to the dance," Luka muttered, before an idea came to her mind. As casually as she could, Luka asked, "Hey, Miku, I heard this weird name and I was wondering if you know of the person…"

"What name? Tell me!"

"Have you ever heard of someone named Hiyama Kiyoteru?"

When Luka got a blank look, she slumped back in her seat with an even more disappointed face. Miku pursed her lips in thought at the name; it sounded vaguely familiar, not that she could place it. Thinking she'd just heard it as some gossip around the school, Miku shrugged it off before getting up and heading over to her seat. Casting one last look at Luka, Miku's eyes roamed over to where Gakupo was sitting as she crossed her fingers and silently willed her friend to gather up the nerves to ask Luka as his date.

**xxxxxxXXXXxxxXXXXxxxXXXXXxxxx**

When Luka came back to the classroom after lunch, she was surprised to find a note in her desk. Making sure that neither Rin or Miku noticed her, she quickly grabbed it and excused herself to the restroom. Luka ran into the bathroom and slammed the door to the first stall, leaning against it as she fumbled with the note in her hands. Opening it, her eyes scanned it before she broke into a smile. Reaching into her pocket, Luka grabbed the pen she kept there and scribbled a hasty answer onto the paper before refolding it nicely.

As Luka passed Gakupo's desk, she slipped the note into his desk before sauntering over to where Miku and Rin were talking animatedly about the dance. She couldn't wait for school to be over.

* * *

**So I didn't get to update yesterday as planned since for some reason my internet was being wonky :/ But here's chapter nine now so I guess it's okay! Also, in answer to the reviewers:**

**_DageRee:_ Thanks for being the first person to review this story! I probably should've done this earlier/at the beginning of the chapter, but either way I was really happy that someone reviewed :) Kaito and Len don't see Gakupo turning out to be like...an ultimate and vicious playboy because he's come from such an innocent background. They're training him up in the same way they are, so he won't be out of control I guess XD Also I purposely have made both Luka and Gakupo more innocent, because I wanted to be different from all the other stories with them that I've read where they're super intense about each other. I don't know, that's just me though XD Either way though, thanks!**

**_Homunculus in the Flask:_ Yes...trouble indeed :3 trouble indeed...**

_**Misa Kagekatsu: **_**I've tried to make the other characters have more personality too! I hope I've succeeded somewhat XD **

_**XxKingArthurIIIxX: **_**Thank you! I very recently got into Vocaloids and while I like Luka and Gakupo together a lot most of the stories I've read about them are really good but they're also about how one or the other is like extremely sexy or something. I wanted to make them innocent for once XD Maybe I'm just not finding the right stories? But thanks :)**

**Okay, well that'll be all until tomorrow, thanks for all the reads and reviews once again!**


	10. Chapter 10

_Chapter Ten-Lettered in Latin_

It was with great difficulty that Gakupo was finally able to pry himself away from the student council room. After having asked Luka to meet him on the stairwell to the roof, the student president had adjusted his times in order to cut the meeting short but still had been unable to do so. Every member of the council seemed to have had problems that day and as they were in charge of the Winter Ball there was no helping the fact that Gakupo couldn't afford to mess up. As he rushed up the stairs, taking them two at a time, he gave a silent thank you to the Kagamine twins who had ended up taking over for him. Len and Rin had stepped up to finish tying up loose ends for the meeting, both of them knowing that Gakupo and Luka were going to meet after school.

While Gakupo and Luka had both tried to hide this meeting from their friends, the twins had figured it out when they saw them exchanging a note. In a rare moment of peace from Miku and Kaito, Len had pulled Rin out of the classroom and asked her if she'd seen the same thing he had. When she'd nodded, the twins had agreed not to mention this knowledge to either the other two. Rin hoped that the two would be happy, while Len hoped that Gakupo would find the strength to win the bet without his and Katio's constant urging.

Just as Gakupo reached the last flight of stairs he noticed a figure slumped against the wall on the stairs. Wondering if someone was hurt, he sped up the steps only to find himself nearly stepping on Luka. As he regained his balance (having almost run Luka over in his rush), his gaze traveled to the dozing figure. Unaware that she was being watched, Luka slept peacefully with her soft pink lips parted slightly. Her hair spilled across her shoulder and down her back, reaching her lap where her hands lay. As her chest rose and fell lightly, Gakupo realized he was staring and he quickly looked away, suddenly feeling like he was watching something he shouldn't have been. Muttering under his breath, he squatted next to her and took a deep breath, forcing himself to look at her sleeping face again. His expression softened as she gave a light snore, and he smiled a little at the sound before reaching out hesitantly and letting his hand brush a few strands of hair back behind her ear.

_Is this the face that I'll wake up to, if I win this bet?_ Gakupo wondered, before silently panicking as Luka moaned a little and shifted in her sleep. His hand jerked back so fast he nearly smacked himself in the face, but as he watched Luka just continued to sleep even more. Fascinated, he leaned in closer while wondering why she suddenly seemed so much more vulnerable. The Luka he knew was fun, but no nonsense. She didn't giggle at everything like Miku did, but she wasn't as easily irritated as Rin. She was serious and seemed to be somewhat cold at times, but as Gakupo leaned in closer he couldn't help but think that she was just putting up a tough exterior to drive off unwanted attention.

After their day at the amusement park, Gakupo knew just how pretty Luka could be, and he was sure that plenty of them would have called out to her if he hadn't been there by her side. He was going to congratulate himself for being different when he remembered that he was technically just as bad as the guys who approached girls on the street. Sitting back on his heels, Gakupo put his head in his hands and muttered, "What am I doing…"

Just as he began to reassure himself that it was best to just finish the bet and give up on Luka, she opened her eyes. The two of them stared at each other for a second before reacting; Luka gave a squeak of surprise and nearly slipped off the stairs while Gakupo jumped up with a yelp. Looking up, Luka held onto the rail as she exclaimed, "What were you doing?!"

In a rush Gakupo explained, "I just got out of the meeting and you were asleep so I didn't want to wake you and…and…" As he fumbled to explain, Luka smiled at him shyly. She watched him trip all over himself in an attempt just to offer her a hand up, and she smiled even wider before reaching out to grab it. When he pulled her to her feet, Gakupo smiled back meekly before asking, "You're not mad that I made you wait, are you?"

"No, I know how busy you can get with the student council. It's okay," Luka said as Gakupo let go of her hand with a blush and fumbled with his keys. Unlocking the door, he pushed it open before gesturing her to go ahead while he followed up and carefully closed the door behind them while the wind grew steadily stronger. While Gakupo put the keys back in his pocket, Luka nonchalantly wandered over to the wall where the engraving was. Sidling up to it, she looked it over before hesitating and asking, "Gakupo? Would you mind going to get something to drink for me? I'm kind of thirsty."

Without hesitation, Gakupo replied, "Sure, is coffee okay with you?"

"That's fine."

"Alright, I'll be back in a few minutes. Be careful, don't go near the railing and fall!"

Luka was about to turn around and reassure him that it would happen when she was hit by something and she gasped in surprise. Struggling out of the material, she realized that it was Gakupo's blazer. When she looked up, she saw that the door was hanging open and he had already gone to get the drinks; Luka blushed as she realized he'd thrown the jacket at her to keep her warm, as it was already very late in the afternoon and slightly chilly. Slipping it on, Luka reasoned with herself that it was just him being polite, although her heart skipped a beat as she thought of how close he'd been when she'd woken up.

Shaking her head, she turned back to the wall and reached into her pocket, taking out a small disposable camera that she'd had tucked in her bag all day. Leaning back, she snapped a few shots of the designs before stashing the camera back in her pocket and walking up to the wall. Hesitantly, Luka reached out and traced the signs with her fingers, wondering what they meant and if they were connected to the mysterious 'Hiyama Kiyoteru'. She was so absorbed in the strange designs that she jumped a bit when Gakupo said behind her, "It's really very interesting, isn't it?"

Whirling around with a light blush at having been caught, Luka saw the student president standing behind her with a smile, two cans of coffee in his hands. With a smile, he offered her one before coming to stand next to her. Looking at the design himself, he popped open his drink and said, "I've often wondered if there's some sort of message in these designs…Maybe I'm just crazy, but don't they kind of look like letters to you?"

Stunned, Luka stuttered out, "L-letters?"

"Yeah, letters." Gakupo took a sip of his drink before saying thoughtfully, "Actually, they look either Greek or Latin to me, but I could be just speculating here. You wouldn't recognize those languages, would you? I don't think they study those languages in most high schools." Suddenly realizing he'd said something pretentious, he blushed and apologized, exclaiming, "I didn't mean to sound so conceited, I'm sorry!"

Quickly, Luka made a mental note to look at the Greek and Latin alphabets before she waved off his apology. "I know that's not what you meant," she said, mentally thanking Gakupo for giving her an idea to work with.

Gakupo just shook his head before steeling up his nerves and saying slowly, "Thanks. I actually didn't ask you up here though just to talk about this weird thing on the roof though…" Luka tensed, half with excitement and half with nervousness as Gakupo turned to face her completely. She turned so that she was looking directly at him as he smiled down at her. Hesitantly, she smiled back up at him, realizing that he seemed different again.

The purple-haired teen took a deep breath before asking in a low voice, "Would you like to be my date to the Winter Ball?" As Luka's face turned the same color as her hair, Gakupo muttered, "If you're wondering, I'm not asking out of pity and I'm not asking because someone told me to. I'm asking because I want to go with you."

Luka's voice caught in her throat, and she coughed before looking down and mumbling, "But don't you want someone rich who can look nice next to you and understands money?"

The tall girl's eyes widened as Gakupo's hand tilted her chin upwards so that she was looking at him again. He smiled at her the same way he had before when asking her on the date, and as his arm made its way around her waist he said, "That doesn't matter; why would I choose anyone else when I can go with someone like you?"

**xxxxXXXXXxxxxXXXXXxxxxXXXXXxxxx**

Oliver watched with a frown as Luka walked in late again and started to talk to Meiko. After having given her a name, he was sure she'd spend more time at home solving the mystery, and yet she'd spent another day late at the school with the student president. Normally Oliver wasn't hostile to others, even if they did like Luka, but he couldn't help but feel like something bad was going to come of this relationship that his caretaker was starting to form. From his bed, he flipped another page before calling out, "So what happened? Did he ask you on another date or something?"

Luka looked over in amazement, saying, "Oliver how did you know I was with Gakupo?"

"Well if you're not here you're usually with him." Oliver grumbled, frowning even more when Luka blushed at his statement. Luka opened her mouth to say something when Meiko interrupted, running over Oliver and exclaiming, "Look, she got pictures of that design!"

Quickly, Luka patted her pockets only to realize that Meiko had snagged the camera. As her friend handed the little boy the camera, Luka complained, "Meiko, will you stop taking things from my pockets without permission? Oliver, give it back, you can't even see the pictures until we take it to the store to get it developed!"

Standing up on his bed, Oliver held the camera firmly in one hand while pointing at his closet imperiously with the other hand. In a haughty tone he said, "Meiko, bring me my coat! Luka, let's all go to the store and get these pictures out right now! I want to see this weird thing you told me about!" With a sigh of defeat, Luka walked over to the bed and hoisted Oliver down, setting him gently on the ground while Meiko tossed his coat over. As the pink-haired girl knelt and buttoned it up, she said exasperatedly, "Oliver, what am I going to do with you and Meiko? You two are so nosy sometimes!"

Giving her a big grin as Meiko tied on his eyepatch, Oliver said, "We want to help you because we care about you. You're the only one nice enough to be friends with Meiko, and I'm going to grow up and take care of you someday so we have to make sure we help you when you have trouble!" While Meiko tussled Oliver's hair and argued with the little boy, Luka smiled gratefully at the two of them. Standing up, she offered Oliver a hand before the three left the room.

**xxxxXXXXXxxxxXXXXXxxxxxXXXXXxxxxXXXXXxxxx**

"Don't open the envelope until after dinner! I want to see the pictures too!" Oliver said for the tenth time as Meiko and Luka prepared him for a meal with his parents. Not wanting to be left out, Oliver had held onto the envelope with the developed photos all the way home from the store; he knew that if they were opened than the two friends would start solving the mystery without him. Giving into his demands again, Luka patted him on the head and said, "We won't open the photos until tomorrow if you promise not to rush your dinner. Last time you rushed you got food all over your nice suit and then I had to take it to the cleaners."

Oliver nodded before cautiously handing the photos over to Luka, before allowing them to take him to the dining room. Once the little boy was out of their hands, Meiko grabbed Luka's arm and all but dragged her friend to her bedroom. Throwing herself on Luka's bed, Meiko settled down before saying, "Sit down and tell me EVERYTHING!"

After calmly setting the envelope on her desk, Luka slid onto the bed and laughed, "Everything meaning…"

Meiko made a face before poking her friend in the arm and saying, "What happened after school today, that everything!"

"Alright, alright! Well I suppose there's no hiding it…I got invited to the Winter Ball, even though it's supposedly some giant social event for the rich. Gakupo insisted he take me though…" Luka smiled, and as a pleased blush crept onto her cheeks at the memory Meiko made a noise of disapproval.

"What are you going to wear to that?" her friend said, causing Luka's smile to turn into a frown. Biting her lower lip, Luka muttered, "I'll figure that out later. I don't want to ask Miku and Rin for help again since I know they'll spend money on me and I'd hate to feel like I'm in their debt. I know they'd never make me pay them back but…"

Meiko nodded in understanding. "Right. Well, we'll figure something out for you-besides, you'll be the prettiest one there no matter what you wear." At this, Luka laughed before saying, "You overestimate me, Meiko. But there's another exciting development, involving that design." Meiko leaned forward, taking in every word as Luka explained what Gakupo had said about it being in a different language. After letting the idea settle in, Meiko nodded again.

"We'll start with those then," she said briskly, before standing up and straightening out her dress. The older woman hesitated for a minute before saying, "I think you should keep strengthening this relationship with student president. We may already have a picture of the design, but since he's so well connected into the school he might be able to find something about Hiyama Kiyoteru that we can't. Besides, I know you like him so either way this is a win-win situation."

At Meiko's words Luka flared bright red before protesting loudly, "I-I don't like him! He's just….we're just…Oh, Meiko get out!" Pushing her smirking friend out the door, Luka turned and threw herself onto her bed, burying her face in her pillow in the hopes of cooling off her heated cheeks. Turning her head slightly, Luka's gaze fell upon her shabby clothes and she muttered, "What does it matter if I'm starting to like him anyways? A poor girl and a rich boy don't end up together in real life. Ever."

* * *

**No lie...my ipod TOTALLY shuffled onto "I Won't Say I'm In Love" from Hercules when I was writing the last part of the chapter and I was all, "IT'S PERFECT!" Oh Ipod, no one understands me like you do!**

**Okay, enough of me being weird XD In response to _XxKingArthurIIIxX: _There's a lot of little in between things going on here underneath the overall big mystery XD I mean, I'll elaborate more on why Kaito is always super angry in the next chapter, but thanks for liking the secrecy :) This is my first time writing mystery so I'm glad to know it's turning out okay! And yes, rich kids can be really rude-not all of them, but a lot of them XD**

**Well, until the next update :) Bye, and thanks for the reads and reviews!**


	11. Chapter 11

_Chapter Eleven-Miku's Guilt_

_She stood in front of him with a happy smile on her face, her blue eyes sparkling as one hand reached out to him. With a gentle voice, she called, "Gakupo, come on! Don't make me wait!" All smiles himself, the purple-haired teen reached out and took her hand, marveling at how soft it was as she smiled and stepped closer. As he focused on her face, she gave him a sweet smile before reaching up and brushing a few strands of hair from his shoulder. Coyly, she allowed her hand to make its way to the back of his neck where she let her fingers play with the small wisps of hair Gakupo hadn't been able to gather into his ponytail. _

"_Gakupo," Luka said, her voice seeming to ring around the area, "I really like you. I really, really like you." A blush painted Gakupo's cheeks at her words and he smiled as he felt like a hundred butterflies had just been released inside his stomach. Trying to keep his cool, Gakupo opened his mouth to say something when she giggled and said, "You don't have to answer, I know you like me too!" Boldly, she reached up and grabbed his coat lapels, bringing him down to kiss her. _

_Without thinking, Gakupo's arms snaked around her waist, his hands pressing into her back as he brought her closer and kissed her even harder. She's so soft, he thought. _

_So, so soft…._

**xxxxXXXXXXXxxxXXXXXxxxXXXXXxxxxx**

With a gasp, Gakupo jerked out of his dream and fell on the floor with a loud thump. Wincing, the teen realized that he was grasping a pillow tightly, holding it the same way he'd been holding Luka in his dream. His embarrassment grew as he noticed a small dark spot on the pillow that appeared to be drool. Standing up, Gakupo threw the pillow to the other side of the room and sat on his bed shaking his head. As the Luka from his dream flashed through his mind, Gakupo shook his head even more furiously, feeling like some kind of pervert before remembering that by the end of the bet he was bound to do more than just kiss her and hold her tightly.

Getting up, he looked over at the clock and saw with relief that he'd woken up just a few minutes before his alarm was set to go off. Grabbing his clothes, he turned off his alarm and headed for the shower in the hopes that the hot water would help relieve him of the memory of the embarrassing dream.

When Gakupo finished, he walked down the stairs and into the dining room where his brother, father, and mother sat. Breakfast was usually spent studying for him and his brother, while his father read the news and his mother talked on the phone with one of her friends. Much to Gakupo's surprise however, his parents appeared to have been waiting for him. As Gakupo slid into his seat, he watched his father fold his hands together before clearing his throat.

"Gakupo."

Without answering, the purple-haired teen looked over at his father who continued, "Kaisei Academy's Winter Ball is approaching. Who are you going with?"

Hesitantly, Gakupo said, "Megurine Luka." He watched as his mother frowned at the name, not recognizing it while his father looked on thoughtfully. Knowing what question was coming next, Gakupo went on and said, "She's not a regular student there, if that's what you're wondering." His mother snapped her fingers, her eyes dawning with recognition as she said, "Oh, that poor student that Kaito's mother mentioned? She said that her son told her that the girl is pretty, but she hasn't got much money."

Gakupo felt his father's gaze fall upon him, and the large man coughed before asking, "Gakupo, why are you going with her when you could be going with someone from the Hatsune family? Or even the Kagamine family? We've allowed you and your brother to choose your own relationships, but if you are just going to choose someone like that…"

"Father!" Gakupo interrupted, feeling braver than before. The idea of his parents rejecting Luka had him on edge, and quickly he tried to defend her without really thinking about the fact that he wasn't planning on staying with her. Grasping at straws to find a reason, he burst out, "I thought it would be more impressive if I make the company richer on my own without the help of a marriage. Besides, we're not dating…yet."

He watched his father thinking before the older man smiled. "Yes," Gakupo's father said thoughtfully, "It would say something to the business world if you became successor and bettered us without a rich ally. Alright, you may take her to the Winter Ball. If anything more comes of this relationship though, we need to meet her. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Father." Gakupo nodded before digging into his breakfast. It wouldn't be necessary for them to meet Luka; to win this bet and become a real player like his friends he'd have to dump her. For a second, Gakupo envisioned Luka at his side. Being pretty and much smarter than many gave her credit for, she'd make a good wife for any businessman despite her background. Realizing how weird it was to be thinking about something like that, Gakupo shook off all thoughts of Luka reluctantly and stared down at his plate.

_I just need to finish this damn bet and then I won't think about her like this anymore, _Gakupo lied to himself, before shoveling down the rest of his food and leaving the room.

**xxxxXXXxxxXXXXXxxxxXXXXXxxxxx**

"Where's Rin today?" Luka asked, as Miku walked up to her on her own again. "Sick," Miku shrugged, before grabbing Luka's hands and looking up at her friend. With a pleading look in her eyes, she asked, "Can you help me today after school?"

Unable to refuse Miku's puppy eyes, Luka laughed a bit before telling herself to call Meiko and let Oliver know she wasn't going to be on time today either. Reaching down to pat Miku's head fondly, Luka agreed, "Sure, what do you need help with?" The pink-haired girl failed to notice the mischevious spark in Miku's eye as the shorter girl replied, "Oh, just some…shopping. Make sure you find me after class!" While she walked off, waving to Luka, Miku turned around and grinned to herself. She was so busy congratulating herself on snagging Luka that she all but crashed into Kaito, who was on his way into the classroom. As the two began to talk, Luka found herself listening in.

The blue-haired teen gave her an exasperated look before asking gruffly, "What's got you so excited anyways?" Used to his callous attitude, Miku just smiled and replied happily, "Dress shopping for the Winter Ball." At the mention of the dance, Kaito looked away before slowly asking, "So I guess you don't want to go with me this year either? I can always get a date but I mean…"

At his comment, Miku blushed a bit before biting her tongue and looking away. Noticing this, Luka slid her gaze from Miku's face to Kaito's and noticed the angry look there. Wondering what was going on, the pink-haired girl looked down before either of them would catch her listening in as Miku lied, "I don't know what you're talking about. Don't get so upset, Kaito, it's just a dance."

"No, it's not." Kaito murmured, before walking past Miku with a stony face. Turning, Miku put a hand out as if to stop him but seemed to think better of it. Retracting her arm, the teal-haired girl turned and walked over to her seat before sitting down with the most serious face Luka had seen on her yet.

**xxxxXXXXxxxxXXXXxxxxXXXXXxxxxx**

"You're….cheerful today," Len observed as he and Kaito sat outside the room where Gakupo was being fitted. The three friends had decided to get their suits together, and as Gakupo had volunteered to go last Len and Kaito were sitting in the waiting room watching people walk past a large window. Grumpily, Kaito said, "Shut up, Len."

Knowing exactly what was wrong, the blonde boy poked Kaito before asking, "It's Miku again, isn't it?"

"I thought I told you to shut up."

Leaning back, Len shrugged and complained, "Look, you have to just get over what happened with her, okay? Just TELL HER that you like her and what you did was stupid but you'll stop. I mean, you do a terrible job of hiding it and you're so grumpy and mean around her that there's no way she could possibly-"

"I SAID SHUT UP!"

Quieting down at Kaito's roar, Len bit his lip before looking out the window himself and deciding to change the subject. After a few minutes of silence, the blonde boy asked, "Kaito?" When he got a grunt confirming his friend was listening, Len continued. "Where is Gakupo going to take Luka exactly to…you know, finish the bet? He can't exactly take her home and checking into a hotel could be risky if a client or worker recognizes him…I mean, he's got purple hair. He's not exactly a wallflower, and neither is she."

At Len's question, Kaito turned to look at his friend. Thoughtfully, he said, "No, you're right. We didn't think of that; and at the rate he's progressing it might happen sooner than planned. We have to figure that out." As Kaito began to spout ideas, Len gave a smile of relief before giving some ideas of his own. Mentally, Len reminded himself not to try and bring up the incident to Kaito again until the bet was over and Gakupo was like them.

_He just wants to protect Gakupo from being used or hurt, I guess, _Len thought, before reassuring himself that what he and Kaito were doing for their friend was right.

**xxxxxXXXXxxxxXXXXXxxxxXXXXxxxxx**

As Miku looked out the window, she could feel Luka's questioning eyes. The two girls had gotten into the car happily, and were heading to the shopping center when Luka had asked her about the conversation she'd overheard that morning. Miku was gathering up her courage to tell Luka when the pink-haired girl said, "I'm sorry I've made you upset, I was just curious…"

"No, no, it's not a problem!" Miku cried, turning back to see a dejected Luka. Biting her lower lip, Miku finally said, "It's just something silly that Kaito gets upset about still, even though he's the one who promised…"

When Miku's words got stuck in her throat, Luka gently asked, "Promised?"

With a sigh, Miku began to talk.

"Kaito and I have been friends for as long as I can remember; our parents have been planning our engagement since we were children. Neither one of us knew about it, so we just acted like friends until the last year of middle school when my parents told me about it. It…It was my fault really, although what he was doing didn't help.."

While Luka tilted her head with a curious look, Miku continued in a ragged voice.

"Kaito was getting more and more popular with other girls, but when finally confessed to him he rejected me, saying that I was special and he had to change before he could be with me. I thought he knew about our engagement and was cheating on me with a bunch of other girls anyways. I got really mad and started flirting with a lot of his friends to get even and finally one day he yelled at me and told me not to do that anymore. I got mad and yelled back that someone who was engaged shouldn't be cheating if they didn't want to get cheated on themselves."

Taking a deep breath, Miku bit her lip again and told herself to keep talking, though it had been so long since she'd really brought up the incident that she was starting to guiltier than ever.

"I didn't know that he didn't know about our engagement. I didn't know that when I'd confessed to him he had started dumping all those other girls and was trying to tell them that he had me. He was hurt that I didn't tell him about our engagement, and that I cheated on him, knowing that we were together. We stopped talking for a month, but just before our first year at Kaisei he called me and told me to forget about it completely, to pretend that things were just like old times. It's really awkward though because he got worse after what happened; he plays with lots of different girls now and I can't say anything because of what I did…it wouldn't be right for me to scold him so harshly when I did something just as bad!"

Curiously, Luka asked, "So that's why he's like that? But what about Len?"

Miku shook her head, saying, "Len and Rin knew us both at the time. Len was kind of a playboy on his own but after I tried to kiss him Kaito got really angry and that's when we had our fight. I don't know what happened between the two of them, but it since I was the one who tried to kiss Len and not the other way around those two didn't fight. They changed over the summer though, and came back as bigger playboys than ever. Rin can complain about it because she didn't do anything, but since I'm the one who made Kaito like that…"

Seeing that Miku was almost in tears, Luka began to back-pedal furiously. Patting her friend on the head, she reassured her in a soothing voice, "Hey, it's in the past. You two are friends again, so everything's been fixed." While Miku nodded and leaned against Luka for a hug, the taller girl put her arms around her friend and thought carefully to herself. Somehow, Luka couldn't understand why Kaito was still acting like a playboy when he obviously cared about Miku.

_Maybe it's his way of protecting himself from getting hurt…_Luka speculated, as the car pulled up to a fancy dress store and the two girls got out. Taking a look up at the store, Luka allowed her friend to drag her in while her thoughts turned to Gakupo. After the story, it was clear that the Kagamine twins and Kaito and Miku had all gone to the same school before Kaisei but Gakupo hadn't. He'd just joined their group as of last year, and was nearly as new a friend as Luka was.

Was Kaito going to try and make him the same way too? While Luka reassured herself this wasn't going to happen, she couldn't help the sudden nagging feeling that something bad was coming. Squashing the feeling, Luka remembered how gently Gakupo treated her.

Surely he wasn't going to turn out the same way…

* * *

**Yeah, so this chapter wasn't about Luka and Gakupo so much as it was about explaining some things, like why Kaito has his heart so set on making his friends like him. **

**Okay, so to sum it up (in case it was confusing)...**

**Basically Miku found out about the engagement and was super happy because she liked Kaito. So she confessed to him thinking he knew too and was only playing around with other girls because he thought SHE didn't know. When he rejected her she got angry and flirted with everyone, even trying to get with Len who was his best friend at the time. Kaito didn't know about the engagement and he got mad at her for flirting and when they were fighting Miku accused him of cheating on her. Then he found out about the engagement and knew that she'd been cheating on him when he'd been trying to dump all his girls for her. **

**So he got hurt big time and felt like he'd just been played himself...thus leading to his personality now where he likes to be popular and play around with others and not get hurt again. Somehow he thinks this is better than just completely forgiving Miku and accepting her...cause he's dumb XD **

**In response to reviews! **

**XxKingArthurIIIxX: ****Just because I'm sure you're wondering how Kaito actually feels about this...he'll tell his side of the story soon, I promise. And yes, Gakupo doesn't know entirely what happened because Kaito hates talking about it (as seen when he screams at Len to shut up) XD Thank you for your lovely compliments, I am very glad you like this story!**

**jjawesome300:****Thank you :) They're my absolute favorite, especially after I saw the video "Witch Hunt" and I loved it (cried like a million tears but loved it). I'm actually considering writing a perspective story on that song since it was actually the first song I heard and got me hooked onto Vocaloids in general XD**

**ALRIGHT! Thanks for putting up with my OBSCENELY long author's note this time (sorry y'all) but also big thanks for reading and reviewing :) You guys rock my socks! See you on the next update...the dance! :D**


	12. Chapter 12

_Chapter Twelve-The Winter Ball_

Gakupo nervously adjusted his coat lapels, before his shaking hands went to the bowtie around his neck. As he fumbled with the bow, several strands of his purple locks continually got caught; with a growl of frustration, Gakupo dropped his hands, giving up on the bowtie in the hopes that he could have it fixed in the car before Luka was picked up. Sighing, the purple-haired teen glanced over at the clock and noted that he still had an hour before he'd have to leave to get his date. Gakupo walked over to his bed and flopped down on the mattress, not caring if his suit got wrinkled or if his hair would become even messier than it already was. Lying there, his thoughts turned to Luka and he grimaced as he thought of Kaito's words to him the day before.

Warning his friend once more not to be so enchanted by the pretty girl, Kaito had spent nearly an hour lecturing Gakupo on how he was to treat Luka on their date. Grumbling to himself, Gakupo rolled over and muttered, "As if I don't know what to do…I know what to do by now!" As he spoke though, a blush overcame his cheeks as he thought of her and his heart sped up for a few minutes. Trying to calm himself down, Gakupo rolled back and forth continuously until his hair was a complete mess and his suit was beyond wrinkled. Finally settling down, Gakupo allowed himself to think about Luka. As his thoughts trailed over her long hair and cerulean eyes, he smiled a little at the thought that she would be his.

Sitting up, Gakupo told himself that there was no harm in what he was doing. Luka was too pretty NOT to be enchanted with…where did Kaito get off thinking it was so easy anyways?

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As the car pulled up, Luka twirled around to face Oliver and Meiko with a look of panic on her face. Gesturing wildly with her hands, the beautiful girl cried, "I can't, I can't go to this ball and make a fool of myself!" Before either of them could stop her, Luka ran off towards the bathroom as fast as she could. Meiko sighed, before volunteering, "I'll go get her. Oliver, do you mind talking to him for a bit while I talk some sense into her?"

At this statement, Oliver made a face before nodding. Watching Meiko walk off briskly towards where Luka had disappeared, the young heir turned to the window and watched as Gakupo walked up the steps and knocked on the door. Turning away from the glass pane, Oliver walked outside his room and looked about before spotting a nearby butler. Calling the man over, Oliver ordered, "Send the purple-haired man in here. He's my guest, not one of mom's or dad's."

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"Luka, calm down! It's just a dance…"

"No, Meiko, it's not just a dance…it's a political event! What was I thinking, saying yes to Gakupo? I can't go there and be judged by everyone, I just can't…"

Shaking her long head of pink curls, Luka gazed down at the sink miserably while Meiko sighed irritably. It wasn't like Luka to break down; this meltdown only strengthened Meiko's idea that Luka really cared for Gakupo. It was obvious that she was more worried about not being fit for him than she was about actually getting judged by everyone, not that anyone would judge her the way she'd been dressed up.

Sliding an arm around Luka's bare shoulders, Meiko reassured her friend, "Look, you'll be fine. Besides, do you think Oliver had this dress made for you just to wear around the house while cleaning? He got this dress because he wants you to have fun tonight and outshine all the other girls, remember what he said?"

Taking a deep breath, Luka looked up in the mirror and took in her reflection. A tall, blue-eyed beauty stared back at her, long pink curls cascading down her back and gently falling at her waist. The rhinestones that had been woven into her curls sparkled nearly as much as the chandelier earrings she wore. The dress, a deep purple, hugged her top and accentuated her curves before flaring out into layers of ruffles and lace, the color fading from dark to light as it did so. Luka barely recognized herself, and as she stared harder she remembered what Oliver had said when they'd gone that day to fix her up.

"_If you're going to go to that silly dance you might as well look good," the ten-year-old had said reasonably while Luka protested. "I'll make sure you look so pretty that even the perverted student president will think twice about trying to pull any moves on you!"_

As Luka brought a hand up to her salmon colored lips, Meiko sighed and grabbed her friend by her shoulders, whirling her around so that she was no longer looking in the mirror. Admonishing her friend, Meiko patted her lightly on the head and said, "Don't worry; just go have fun and don't think about anything!"

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Gakupo sat awkwardly on the chaise that Oliver kept in his room, watching as Oliver sat on his bed and glared at him from the lavish bedframe. The purple-haired teen gulped and wondered where Luka could be, while nervously watching Oliver. Sensing fear, Oliver grinned wickedly before climbing off his bed and walking over to the tall teen. Walking around Gakupo's chair, Oliver eyed the older boy with an almost predatory look before stopping right in front of him. As Gakupo smiled nervously at the little boy, Oliver smiled back maliciously and grabbed Gakupo by his bowtie.

While Gakupo choked slightly, Oliver's eyes narrowed and the young boy growled, "If you even THINK about hurting my Luka you're going to regret it! She better have a good time at this dance or else!"

"Alright, alright!" Pulling out of Oliver's grasp, Gakupo loosened his bowtie and took in a deep breath before looking at the little blond with a mixture of exasperation and confusion. "Why do you hate me so much anyways?"

"I hate anyone who I think is bad for Luka," Oliver said dismissively. "You just LOOK like someone who would date a girl and dump her."

Pushing down the guilt that was beginning to swirl up again, Gakupo opened his mouth to argue when the bathroom door swung open and Meiko walked out. Being her first time seeing Gakupo up close, she paused and took him in before smirking and stepping to the side with a bow. As Luka walked out hesitantly, Gakupo stood up without thinking and Oliver smirked and crossed his arms.

"Isn't she beautiful?" Oliver bragged, but his words fell on deaf ears as Gakupo crossed the room and strode purposefully towards Luka. A few paces before her, he stopped and bowed slightly, his hair falling around his face as he did so. When he looked up again and saw her blushing at his gesture, Gakupo gave her a geninue smile and said gently, "It's an honor to be taking you to the Winter Ball, Megurine Luka. Shall we go?"

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After a few moments of awkward silence, Gakupo finally managed to get out what he'd been meaning to say since first seeing Luka. The two had been riding towards the school in silence since leaving the Markwell residence, Gakupo speechless since Luka's appearance. Just as the two pulled into a line of cars all waiting to enter the gates of Kaisei, Gakupo cleared his throat to catch his date's attention. Resisting the urge to blush, he said in a low but clear voice, "Luka, I didn't tell you this before but…"

She turned to him expectantly, and Gakupo's voice caught in his throat again before he found himself once more struck by how much prettier she was than normal (which he hadn't thought was possible). Slipping his hand into hers, he intertwined their fingers before continuing in a murmur, "I don't think anyone's going to be able to hold a candle next to you tonight, no matter how rich they are." As the car pulled up to the curb and the driver got out, Gakupo felt Luka nervously squeeze his hand. Seeing that she was lightly trembling, he used his free hand to tilt her chin so that she was facing him. Without thinking, he leaned forward and pressed his lips softly to her cheek before pulling back slightly and murmuring in her ear, "Calm down; I'm right here. I won't leave you to face them alone." As Luka's face lit up a surprised but happy smile, Gakupo squeezed her hand tighter and straightened up as the door swung open.

When the two stepped out, there was a pause from the surrounding couples before people began to mutter and whisper while staring at the couple. It was obvious that everyone recognized them, but by the looks Luka was attracting it was clear that everyone was wondering how she'd managed to look so nice when it was widely known throughout the school that she was in a lower class. As Gakupo strode towards the building confidently, he pulled Luka behind him briskly to get her past all the staring and into the school.

Once inside, they were greeted by the footmen that the council had hired to usher and cater the event, before being taken to the great ballroom. While Gakupo talked to the caterers to make sure everything was going fine, Luka gazed around her in wonder.

She'd been inside the ballroom once before when Gakupo had shown her around the school, but it was nothing compared to how it looked now. Lavish chandeliers hung from the ceiling, glowing brilliantly and illuminating the dance floor where beautiful girls in ball gowns were being twirled by handsome young men in elegant suits. Looking up, Luka noticed an upper level where several figures appeared to be staring down at the crowd and talking to each other. When Gakupo looked over and noticed her staring up, he smiled lightly and coughed to get her attention. As she looked at him questioningly, Gakupo gestured upwards before explaining, "The parents that attend to find their children suitable partners. The balcony is reserved solely for them, although students will often go up there to speak to their parents about a preference."

Turning back to the scene at the ball, Gakupo noticed several male students glancing his way, and he felt a surge of pride as he placed his hand on Luka's waist and guided her gently towards the dance floor. Feeling where they were going, Luka began to panic as she whispered frantically, "Gakupo, I can't dance, I…"

Silencing her protests, he laughed and said, "Just follow my lead. I promised you I wouldn't leave you on your own with these people, didn't I?" While Luka stared up at him, Gakupo leaned down and whispered in her ear, "Besides, they're not staring at you for the reasons you think. Have more confidence, Luka, and smile. You're more beautiful than ever tonight and no amount of money could buy that."

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From a dark spot near the wall, Kaito's glared out across the dance floor. Like last year, he'd easily gotten a date despite waiting until the last minute; and just like last year he was ignoring her as he searched for Miku. The girl he'd brought impatiently looked away, biting her lip as she waited for Kaito to ask her to dance but the blue-haired teen had other ideas. As his eyes raked across the dance floor, he caught sight of Gakupo and Luka dancing. Somehow the two had managed to attract more attention than before, and as they danced the rest of the crowd gave them enough space to make it obvious that the other studnets were more interested in watching the couple than dancing themselves. As Len and his date came over, the blonde boy raised an eyebrow before smirking and gesturing towards the dance floor where Gakupo twirled Luka around to the music.

"They look good together, don't they?" Len asked, sliding up to Kaito and leaning back against the wall the same way the taller boy was. While Kaito grunted noncomitally, he squinted and noticed that Luka looked nervous about all the attention she was attracting. When Gakupo leaned in though and said something to her that made her laugh a little, Kaito's eyes narrowed.

Seeing Kaito's angry gaze, Len followed it before covering for Gakupo hastily. Attempting to explain his friend's gentle behavior away, Len laughed nervously and said, "He's getting really close to her, Kaito. He'll definitely finish this bet and be like us!"

"Mmm.." Kaito made a noise of agreement, his eyes never leaving the couple once as Gakupo twirled Luka once more and nearly dropped her. Rather than getting angry at him, Luka just smiled while Gakupo looked flustered and tried to apologize. When the two of them bent their heads together and laughed to themselves at how they were acting, Kaito frowned. Digging into his pocket, he grabbed his cell before flipping it open and dialing Gakupo's number.

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As Gakupo and Luka retreated towards the nearest wall, the two gasped for breath having lost it between dancing and laughing at the same time. Luka smiled again as Gakupo leaned against the wall and grabbed her hand, smiling back at her as he let out the last of his laughter. She'd been so nervous before about being judged, but thanks to Gakupo she felt better about the whole situation. His awkwardness was sweet and endearing in a way she hadn't expected, and she blushed a bit at the acknowledgment that she was really starting to fall for him despite only knowing him for a few months.

The purple-haired teen was having just as good a time as Luka, even though he could feel all the guys staring and it made him slightly jealous. He'd felt their stares as he and the pink-haired beauty danced together; most of his fumbles during the dance had happened due to his sudden desire to be possessive of his date. Looking over at Luka, Gakupo noticed that she was standing there in silence, smiling at him with a strange look in her eyes. Almost instantaneously his thoughts went to the Luka from his dream, and he marveled at how much better it was to have her smiling like that at him in real life. Without thinking, he smiled back at her and was pleased when she blushed that much harder. Gakupo opened his mouth to say something when he felt his phone vibrating in his jacket pocket. With an apologetic look, he pulled it out and glanced quickly at the screen only to see Kaito's name flash across the screen. Putting the phone away, Gakupo turned his violet eyes out to the floor until his gaze met Kaito's on the other side of the room.

Turning back to Luka, Gakupo grabbed her hand and said, "Want to go to the roof?" Without waiting for her response, he tightened his grip on her hand and pulled her out of the ballroom.

**xxxxxxXXXXXxxxxXXXXxxxxXXXXXxxxx**

Leaving Luka on the staircase with his jacket, Gakupo told her to wait for a few minutes while he grabbed them something to drink before heading back to the ballroom alone to face Kaito. He was halfway to the ballroom when he heard a low voice behind him call his name. Turning around, the student president turned around to see Kaito walking towards him out of the dark, his hands in his pockets casually despite the look of irritation on the handsome boy's face. Stopping just a few feet before his friend, Kaito asked accusingly, "Why didn't you answer your phone or just leave Luka by herself for a few minutes?"

Hesitantly, Gakupo stepped forward and said, "I promised her I wouldn't let her be judged or pounced on tonight by all those people in there. Not by herself at least."

"How noble of you."

"Thank you."

The two friends stared at each other in silence before Kaito broke it with a deep sigh. Taking a few steps forward, he looked at Gakupo with the saddest look he'd ever worn before saying, "Gakupo, you can't do this."

Denying everything, the taller boy asked, "Do what? The bet?"

Kaito snorted at this, before becoming serious again. His face an impassive mask, he said, "You can't fall in love with her, Gakupo. It won't end well."

"I don't know what you're talking about. Now if you'll excuse me, Luka's waiting for me…"

Gakupo took a few steps past his friend before Kaito turned around and called out, "I'm looking out for you. Know that, Gakupo. I just don't want you to get hurt the same way I did. I want you to be as strong as I am."

Without turning back to Kaito, Gakupo muttered, "I know," just loud enough that his friend could hear it. Then, before Kaito could guilt him anymore, Gakupo lunged forward and headed back towards Luka. As Kaito watched his friend go, Len materialized out of the darkness where he'd been hiding and listening in. Walking up to the taller boy, the blonde said, "We can't leave them for too long on their own tonight, Kaito. He's getting attached. He's forgetting about the bet."

His thoughts turning to Miku once more, Kaito smiled a little before saying, "We can fix that…who said they were going to be alone all night after all?"

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**He's trying so hard! Gakupo, that is. He wants to please everyone but in doing so he's starting to forget that he has to take care of what HE feels first XD **

**In answer to the reviews: **

**Kagamine Hikari: ****Thanks for the comment! It's always nice to know that people are actually reading my story and not just giving it a cursory glance XD**

**XxKingArthurIIIxX:**** Everyone's got problems, right? Maybe I'm being a bit overdramatic with the characters' problems but I tried to make it as realistic as I could XD No one's perfect and EVERYONE has some seriously deep secrets they'd rather not share so...yeah. That was just my attempt on it :) As far as Luka not doubting him I felt that was only natural...when you start to really like someone you don't want to doubt them. You want to trust them and believe that they mean what they say to you and when it's something like your first real relationship ever you want to believe even more. (yay for me being philosophical) :P**

**Homunculus in the Flask: ****Speculate away! That's half the fun of reading mysteries, isn't it? :) I'm glad you like my story though! :) **

**So once again, thanks all for reading/reviewing :) In other sad news (sad, sad, SAD news) I am departing for college tomorrow and will most likely not be able to update regularly once there. Part of it is my schedule and part of it is the lame internet in the dorms XD I WILL finish this story though, I promise! I don't like to abandon things halfway :) So until the next update, farewell my awesome readers, and I'll update as soon as I can!**


	13. Chapter 13

_Chapter Thirteen-In All Seriousness_

Meiko and Oliver sat at the big mahogany desk in the study, pouring over old books with different languages as they attempted to figure out the strange letters in the pictures that Luka had taken. While Luka herself was off at the dance she'd requested them to wait for her, but being the nosy duo they were Meiko and Oliver had both ignored this request and had taken it upon themselves to try and solve the mystery of the design. So far, neither of them were having luck deciphering it as Meiko couldn't seem to remember the languages Luka had first suggested.

"Come on, Meiko," Oliver whined as he threw a book of Russian onto the used pile, "can't you remember what language she said to try first?"

"Hush, I'm trying," Meiko snapped back, irritably flipping through a book of Norweigan. Between all the excitement of Luka's date and seeing that her friend had managed to snag such a good-looking guy, Meiko hadn't given a thought to what she and Luka had been trying to figure out for ages. As Oliver pouted and sunk into his seat, he asked, "Did she find anything out yet about Hiyama Kiyoteru?"

Racking her brain for the right language, Meiko replied back absently, "No, not yet."

Oliver opened his mouth to ask another question when his eyes fell on the cover of a nearby book. It was in Latin, a language that the ten-year-old knew of but hadn't studied yet. While his parents and his tutor had warned him that he would be studying it someday, Oliver couldn't help but feel like the letters looked awfully familiar. Turning to look at the photos again, the little boy studied the picture before giving a yelp of surprise.

"MEIKO!" Oliver screamed, jerking the woman out of her trance and causing her to topple of the edge of the desk, where she had been sitting. Standing up with an annoyed look on her face, she sighed, "Don't do that, Oliver! What is it?"

Eagerly, the little boy held up the book and Meiko stared at it before understanding lit her face. With a smile just as big as Oliver's, the maid snatched the book before rifling through it to a page with letters and translations on it. Setting the book down on the desk, she nodded at Oliver and the little boy took up a pen and notepad, writing down every letter that Meiko translated.

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"The night sky is beautiful, isn't it?" Luka asked softly, her face tilted upwards as she gazed at the deep blue of the sky. Finally away from the crowd and the lights and glamour, Luka smiled with a bit of relief before looking over shyly at Gakupo, who hadn't said anything since opening the door to the roof. He too was looking up at the sky with an almost wistful look on his face, his violet eyes seeming to search for an answer as he stood there in silence. As her cerulean eyes swept over him, he looked over at her and caught her staring, which caused her to blush and him to smile.

Turning away, her face still burning, Luka coughed before fiddling with her skirt. As she gazed out at the city lights, Gakupo's hand tightened on the railing as he remembered his conversation with Kaito. Why couldn't he bring himself to just act the way he was supposed to? Every time he thought about pulling a move Kaito or Len had taught him, the president's stomach clenched painfully. While he debated internally with himself, Luka finally turned back to him. In a small voice, she asked, "Gakupo?"

Freezing at the tone of her voice, the purple-haired teen looked at her and answered cautiously, "Yes, Luka?"

Luka hesitated for only a moment before asking, "What am I to you?"

_Someone important. Someone special…someone I shouldn't have made a bet on._ While Gakupo's thoughts raced wildly, he opened his mouth to answer but found himself cut off as Luka continued to talk. Blushing furiously, she fiddled even more with her skirt and muttered, "I…I want you to know that you've become very important to me and…and…I like you quite a bit, Gakupo."

Her odd way of confessing made his smile, but as the words really registered in his mind Gakupo's rationality completely flew out the window. Forgetting about the bet, Kaito and Len's expectations, and everyone else in the school, Gakupo breathed, "Really? You really like ME?"

"Do I have to say it again?" Luka laughed nervously, refusing to meet his eye. She was beginning to regret her sudden decision to confess when she found herself enveloped in a warm embrace. As Gakupo's arms tightened around her delicate frame, her azure eyes widened. Holding her close, Gakupo let his left hand entwine itself in her hair, and he marveled at how soft it was as he buried his face in it. Pressing her frozen body to his, he murmured, "Please…say it one more time. Just so I know I'm not just dreaming or hallucinating…please, Luka."

At his words, she turned a brilliant shade of pink before her arms went around his torso and she hugged him back fiercely, whispering, "I like you. A lot."

Pulling back slightly, Gakupo looked down into her face and saw the look of embarrassment and happiness on her face. Smiling fondly at her, he leaned down until their lips were mere inches apart before he hesitantly asked, "May I…?"

"Please," Luka murmured back, her eyes already half-closed in anticipation of what was to come. Heart pounding a mile a minute, Gakupo closed his own eyes and leaned forward, his cool lips pressing onto hers.

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Downstairs, Rin and Miku watched the dance with bored expressions. Rin had gotten a date, but Miku had declined all offers and was instead opting to watch from the sidelines. As Rin fiddled with the black bow at her neck, Miku looked for Kaito but to no avail. Wondering where he was, she reminded herself that he'd come with someone else anyways before she was suddenly bumped on the head. Turning to complain, the teal-haired girl found herself looking up at Kaito, who watched her with unimpressed eyes.

"You look nice," he told her by way of compliment, and Miku blushed lightly before replying, "You do too. Where're Gakupo and Luka? Rin and I got here late so I missed them…"

Len sidled up to his sister and friends, leaning against Rin casually as he shrugged and said, "They were here earlier but they disappeared somewhere together. Kaito and I have already tried contacting Gakupo but he won't answer his phone."

Rin frowned at this, her eyes narrowing in suspicion before she growled, "I hope he's not doing something to Luka, especially if you two put him up to it!"

"Oh come on, Rin, don't you trust us?" Len asked mockingly, but his sister ignored him before turning to Miku. With a loud sigh, the blond girl complained, "This dance is just as boring as last year. Can't we all go do something more interesting? My date this year is just as lame as last year's was."

At Rin's antics, Miku giggled a little before eyeing the boys. With a shrug, the pretty girl said, "You and I can but I don't know if they want to tag along…"

Kaito elbowed Miku lightly for her statement, before smiling as she giggled at his move. Exchanging a look with Len, the taller boy asked, "We'll come, but who's going to invite Gakupo and Luka?"

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_She taste sweet,_ Gakupo thought, unable to put his finger on exactly what it was Luka tasted like. As he kissed her softly, he brought a hand up to her cheek and his stomach fluttered as she broke off the kiss to lean against his hand. Her face as warm as his, Luka looked up at him with shy eyes before her hands tightened their grip on his back, holding onto fistfuls of his shirt as if she didn't want to let go. With slow, deliberate movement, Gakupo leaned back down and brushed his lips against her lightly once more, savoring the way her lips felt against his.

His mind blank, the tall boy tried to steady himself as he realized how dizzy and elated he felt. This was much different from the hurried, frantic kiss he'd shared so long ago with the nameless girl from the club. How could Luka's touch make him THIS dizzy? Smelling lightly of gardenias, Luka's scent threatened to intoxicate him and he struggled to return back to his normal thoughts.

Telling himself to focus, he murmured to her, "Luka, I…I want to be serious with you. Can you accept that?"

He was pleased when she burned red but nodded silently. As his arms tightened around her back, he brought her in for another hug which she returned, burying her face into his chest. Inhaling deeply, Luka took in the scent of rain and cologne that came from Gakupo before she smiled into his shirt. The whole night was turning out far better than she'd thought it would. Having forgotten all about the original reason to getting close to the president, the pink-haired girl felt light as her heart seemed to soar at the thought that Gakupo had not only accepted her confession but had accepted her.

The two stood in silence, holding each other as the night wind blew chillingly around them before Gakupo pulled back slightly and brought a hand to her chin, tilting it up. As he leaned in for another kiss, Luka began to close her eyes as well; the two found themselves rudely interrupted when Gakupo's cellphone went off in his jacket. Reaching into the pocket, Luka handed the phone over and hugged Gakupo's jacket around her while the purple-haired teen answered in a strained and irritated voice, "Yes?"

He sighed tiredly when Miku's voice came over loud enough for both of them to hear. As she detailed out how boring the dance was turning out, the teal-haired girl asked if the couple wanted to join the rest of the group who was already planning to go out and karaoke. Putting a hand up to the speaker, Gakupo pulled away from the phone and looked over at Luka. The two stared at each other before Gakupo sighed and gave in. Putting the phone back up to his ear, he asked, "Where are we meeting you?"

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The two of them sat in the karaoke room, watching as the twins argued over what duet to sing. After making it back down the stairs and out to where all the drivers were waiting, the group had waited while Len and Kaito dropped off their dates and Rin had said good-bye to hers. Afterwards, they'd all piled into Gakupo's car as it was the largest and had driven to a nearby karaoke place, where the whole group had proceeded to attract stares from all the other groups coming in.

As Gakupo felt Luka shift uncomfortably next to him, his thoughts went back to their kiss and he resisted the urge to blush. Looking over at where Kaito and Miku were sitting and trying to avoid each other's gaze, the purple-haired teen suddenly felt a bit annoyed. He'd realized that he and Luka had been interrupted on purpose; with some spite, Gakupo called out, "Hey, I think Kaito and Miku should sing something." The two froze up, while the twins stopped their arguing and turned back to where Gakupo was smirking triumphantly. Luka, for her part, sat stiffly and wondered what was going to happen now that Gakupo had suggested something so awkward.

An awkward silence beginning, Rin cleared her throat nervously before looking over at where Miku looked frightened at Gakupo's suggestion. Len noticed Kaito was beginning to grow angry, and in hopes of calming him down the blonde boy shoved the microphone at Luka and said cheerfully, "Luka, you sing first so Kaito and Miku have time to decide what they're going to sing!" Walking over to Kaito, Len grabbed him by the arm and yanked him out before Rin gave the songbook to Miku and looked over at Luka.

The pinkette held the microphone uncertainly as Rin came up to her and said, "Aren't you going to sing, Luka?"

Luka turned the same color of her hair before saying shyly, "Well, I don't know that many songs…" Flocking over to the other two girls, Miku brought the songbook and sat herself down next to Luka, bumping Gakupo away in the process. As the three debated over what songs to sing, Gakupo sighed and left the room in search of Kaito and Len.

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Len and Kaito were halfway down the hall when Gakupo caught up to them. Standing a few feet away, the tallest of the group called, "Kaito, Len!" He wasn't surprised to see Kaito turn around with a vicious glare. Practically foaming at the mouth, the blue-haired boy demanded, "Why did you suggest something so STUPID, Gakupo? Do you honestly think-"

"Well I'm sorry that I don't know why you act like you hate being with Miku so much!" Gakupo spat back, feeling slightly guilty before pressing on. Resolutely, the taller boy exclaimed, "You won't even talk about what happened with her when it's obvious-"

"Just shut up. Damn it, Gakupo, just shut up!"

Feeling guiltier than before, Gakupo fell silent before meekly saying, "I'm sorry, Kaito. But I don't understand why you're so mad about this, or why you keep telling me that I can't be with Luka. If she makes me happy, and I make her happy, what's wrong with that?"

With a wretched look on his face, Kaito sighed and said slowly, "You just can't, Gakupo…having someone special is too heart-breaking when they turn out to be cheating backstabbers. Besides that, Luka isn't from our world."

"She can learn, she's beautiful and smart-"

"THAT DOESN'T MATTER!" Calming down a little, Kaito took a deep breath and continued. "Do you really think she could be happy, living in a world of scrutiny? She's POOR. Don't ever forget that she's not in our class, Gakupo. She'll be judged and scorned and mocked…do you really want to put her through that?"

"I can protect-"

"You can't be there all the time," Kaito countered, interrupting his friend again. Stepping forward he put a hand on Gakupo's shoulder and looked up into the student president's face. Sincerity ringing with every word, Kaito said, "Finish this bet soon, Gakupo, before you get hurt."

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**Yay romance? :D**

**In answer to reviews: **

**XxKingArthurIIIxX: ****Thank you :) I do try to update as frequently as I can, since personally I'm not patient and have a hard time waiting XD Kaito's trying-for him at least. Happiness will come in time but he still feel SUPER betrayed. Gakupo's having a hard time too, since he's always wanted to stop all the insults but at the same time is now conflicted between taking care of himself or Luka.**

Homunculus in the Flask: I did write a few chapters ahead, so that I could post at random hours such as now at seven before morning class XD

**DageRee: ****Hahaha I like to update fast when I have time :) And sorry but...I never did actually say yet who it was who attended the school so...You'll have to read and see for sure though :P**

**Kagamine Hikari: :) **

**Anyways, this was my first update since being back in school and I already had this written so it wasn't too hard to post it after getting settled back in. I'm also planning on posting another story, one based off of the video "Witch Hunt" as I mentioned in a previous chapter; so look out for that one too if you'd like to read it :) **

**Thanks for reading and reviewing, and see you on the next update!**


	14. Chapter 14

_Chapter Fourteen-Voice_

The boys were heading back to the room when they heard a beautiful voice singing. As they got closer to the room the group had rented, they found themselves surprised to hear the sound coming from the room. Len looked at Kaito, before pushing open the door and running in, only to find himself shocked. Kaito followed quickly, tugging the listless Gakupo behind him; both boys stopped at the sight that met their eyes.

It was Luka.

Her hair flared out as she moved to the music, her blue eyes dangerous and alluring at the same time as she sang her heart out to the words on the screen. The words didn't seem so important as the melody weaved in and out, growing louder when needed and falling back to softer as the song faded out to an end. Despite her dress and sweet curls, Luka's look was so intense that she had everyone mesmerized watching her as her hand dropped loosely to her sides, the microphone falling gently until her fingers caught the cord and allowed it to dangle there.

Suddenly realizing that everyone was staring, Luka turned bright red and whirled around to see that the boys were back in the room and Gakupo was staring at her with his mouth wide open in amazement. Even Kaito seemed to have forgotten about his words before as he broke the silence with an awed, "That was incredible...Where'd you get a voice like that?"

His words breaking the trance on everyone, Rin piped up, "Luka, you never told us you could sing like that! Why aren't you in the school choir? Sure your voice and style is more stylistic but I know that the choir director would love to have a good soloist since all the people in choir right now are too shy…"

Backing away from everyone, the pink-haired girl laughed off their compliments awkwardly as each of them gathered around and tried to convince her to sing again. It wasn't until she looked pleadingly at Gakupo that the other understood she didn't want to sing again for awhile. Unused to the attention, Luka sat down next to Gakupo as Miku and Kaito got up to sing. While the two argued over what to sing, Gakupo finally managed to get out a compliment, saying, "You must like singing; I mean you're so good at it."

At his words Luka smiled modestly and fiddled with her skirt again before saying slowly, "My mom really liked to sing with me before..." Remembering that none of her friends from Kaisei knew that her mother was dead reminded Luka of the pictures waiting at home to be deciphered.

"Before what?" Gakupo prodded her gently, and Luka realized that she'd been staring off blankly into the distance. With a small laugh, she bit her lip before deciding to tell him later on; there WAS a small possibility he could help. And now that they were something…well it would be alright to tell him some things now. Giving him the 'I'll tell you later' look, Luka settled back against the seat cushion and found his hand before turning to where Miku and Kaito were singing together, looking as if they were enjoying themselves far more than they'd ever admit.

**xxxxXXXXXxxxxXXXXXxxxxXXXXXXxxxx**

It was dead silent in the car until Luka cleared her throat and caught Gakupo's attention once more. Looking over at his girlfriend (blushing at the thought of being official), the president watched as Luka fiddled with her skirt again nervously and blurted out, "You asked me a question earlier…"

"Yeah?"

"Well…Don't tell anyone alright? It's shameful enough that I'm poor; I don't need anymore whispers about me going around the school."

The purple-haired teen gave Luka a gentle look, before reaching out and softly touching her cheek. As he let his fingers linger there, he enjoyed the way a light pink began to show before he murmured, "I won't tell anyone, I promise."

Her blue eyes searched his, and finally Luka gave a sigh and nodded. Trusting that he wouldn't react too much, the pinkette coughed and said slowly, "You asked me 'before what?' when we were at the karaoke room. Well…my mother and I used to sing together when we did chores. She died just a few months ago, but I still sing for Oliver sometimes because he really likes my voice."

Stunned, Gakupo's hand dropped from Luka's face and grabbed the hand she had placed on her lap. Squeezing it, he said, "I'm sorry about your mom. Is she the one who taught you how to sing? If she did, she's done a good job."

"My mom taught me how to sing but told me that she used to be awful at it; it wasn't until high school when a teacher finally stepped up to help her with her tone that she got good at singing. In fact, I think she did something with it in high school, although she never told me. She might have been the singer for a band; I don't know. Either way, I learned from her."

As the talk turned away from her mother's death and towards Luka's singing, the pink-haired girl wondered when she could fully tell Gakupo why she was attending Kaisei. Ignoring the fact that she was keeping secrets from someone whom she cared for deeply, Luka squeezed his hand reassuringly before turning her thoughts completely on their conversation.

**xxxxxxXXXXXXxxxxxXXXXXXxxxxXXXXXXxxxxx**

"What's it say, Oliver?" Meiko asked as the little boy transcribed the last of the letters down. Clearing his throat, Oliver readied himself before finally reading aloud what he'd written.

"_Beyond the stars, beyond the moon,_

_So does my love transcend for you._

_Lettered here for all to see,_

_I confess a love that cannot be._

_Rags nor riches matter here, _

_But I cannot touch you when you are near._

_Don't grow up too fast my dear,_

_I will still love you for a thousand years."_

When the little boy met Meiko's gaze, he found that she had a grim look on her face. Flopping down on the seat next to the desk, the maid said ruefully, "Looks like we've just swapped one mystery out for another."

Scanning the poem over again, Meiko muttered the words to herself, wondering what it meant. Somehow, the poem seemed familiar, though she could place a finger on it. As the two bent their heads together over it, they heard the study door open and they looked up to see Luka walked towards them, worry written all over her face as she scolded, "Oliver, it's way too late for you to be up! Meiko, what happened, why didn't you put him to bed? Normally you're so strict…"

Luka's words trailed off as her blue eyes fell on the papers and pictures cluttering the desk. For a second, Meiko and Oliver braced themselves for her to be angry at having solved it without her, before a hesitant smile broke out on her face.

"Did you…did you get it then?" she asked, forgetting about Gakupo and his goodnight kiss almost immediately. When Meiko nodded, Luka clapped her hands together and said, "Great! What's it say?"

The happy look faded from the pretty girl's face as Oliver read the poem aloud once more. It was obvious she was just as confused as they were; slumping down into a nearby chair, Luka shook her head. As the three sat in silence, Meiko asked, "Luka, where have we heard that poem before?"

"Hmm?"

"It sounds so familiar…"

Racking her brain, Luka thought back until she snapped her fingers in recognition. Standing up again, she said with an amazed voice, "That's the exact same poem my mom left in the letter!" Running out to her room, she left the two behind in the study. When she came back she was back in her normal clothes and had a piece of paper and an envelope in her hand. Luka sat down and cleared her throat before looking at the two of them and reading, "My dearest Luka, by the time you read this I will be gone. I know I've been battling cancer for so long, but I feel as if I can't hold on for any more time. I leave you my last request; take the money I've been saving for years and attend the elite Kaisei Academy. There is someone who once was there that is very important although I have sworn to never reveal the details of the story myself. It was a promise I made long ago and I intend to stay true to my honor, even now on my deathbed. Find this person, Luka. Learn their story. And in return, you will come to understand so many things and why I sent you to Kaisei in the first place. Love, your mother."

Looking up and seeing the two staring at her, Luka explained, "She wrote the poem at the bottom. It's the exact same poem as the one carved onto the roof of the school! My mom HAD to have been the person who attended Kaisei before me, this confirms my suspicions!"

Meiko frowned a bit before asking, "I assumed that much too. But Luka, there's no way your mom carved that up there. And if she did, she would have had to be with someone who had access to the roof."

"The student president and staff members are the only ones with keys to that door…" Luka mused, getting up and pacing back and forth in front of the desk.

It was Oliver who piped up, "Well, why don't you just as that guy to show you all the student presidents of the past or something? I'm sure they've documented it somewhere in that giant school." As Luka and Meiko began to talk to each other excitedly about the possibilities, Oliver turned away and muttered to the wall, "At least he's good for something."

**xxxxxXXXXXXXXxxxxXXXXXXXxxxxXXXXXXxxxxx**

Gakupo sat on his bed, settling down into the sheets before worrying about what he was going to do. He couldn't keep fighting with Len and Kaito; they only had what was best in mind for him. And he couldn't abandon Luka or stop liking her so much. Torn between the two, the president turned over restlessly on his mattress and wondered what he was going to do. How could he keep balance between two sides of himself?

Rolling over again, he muttered and mumbled into his sheets, trying to make sense of what he had to do. All the bet had really entailed was that he sleep with Luka; it had been Kaito's idea really that Gakupo break up with her afterwards. And while Gakupo didn't want to break up with Luka, the idea of sleeping with her wasn't horrendous...

Embarrassed as he was to admit it, the purple-haired teen thought far more about Luka than he'd ever actually tell Kaito and Len.

Caught between the two options, Gakupo forced himself to think about how he could proceed to keep both Luka and succeed in the bet, thus successfully erasing the title of 'virgin president' from his name forever. Slowly, the student president sat up, his long purple hair falling around him as he did so.

It was so simple; all he had to do was play Len and Kaito the way he was supposed to be playing Luka.

If he let them think that he was listening to them and following their directions but then did whatever he wanted when he was Luka, no one would ever know. By the time the end of the year rolled around, rather than having to discard his new girlfriend Gakupo would probably be able to convince her to keep their relationship a secret for awhile by relating it to his family's business matters; just long enough for him to make it seem like he'd dumped her. Once he had waited a certain amount of time, if he told Kaito and Len he chose to go after her once more then they wouldn't be able to complain-the bet being the main reason that the two didn't want Gakupo to end up with Luka.

Deciding to implement this new plan immediately, Gakupo sat back and rolled over to sleep, attempting to ignore the nagging feeling in his stomach that was slowly starting to grow.

**xxxxxXXXXXXxxxxXXXXXXxxxxXXXXXXxxxxx**

"Past student presidents?" Gakupo asked, wondering why his new girlfriend was asking. In front of him, Luka shifted nervously and played with her hands behind her back, hoping that he wouldn't ask too many questions and would just help her. The two had met in the hallway after lunch to finally talk to each other for the first time that day, as Gakupo had been called to do morning announcements in Rin's place. Staring at the pink-haired girl in confusion, the president opened his mouth to question her further when he caught the look in her eyes.

Nodding his head slowly in understanding that she would explain later, Gakupo hesitantly said, "I can show you if you want…" Before he could finish his sentence though, he caught Len's eye as the blonde boy walked out into the hallway and glanced in their direction. In a voice loud enough that Len could hear, Gakupo said smoothly, "If you'll do something for me."

"What do you want?" Luka asked curiously, tilting her head. Her heart began to pound furiously as Gakupo leaned in closer again and one side of his mouth jerked up into an alluring, daring sort of smirk. In a low voice that made Luka shiver, Gakupo asked, "Why don't you meet me today after school and find out?"

* * *

**Well it's been a bit but thanks all for waiting! **

**To the reviews we go then :)**

**XxKingArthurIIIxX: Hahaha thanks :) I really do like this couple but I AM pretty bias considering I'm writing it and that they were the first couple I ever really heard XD If you like this story you might (I do say MIGHT here) like the little three part one shot I did for them. Do check it out if you're interested and let me know what you think! Gakupo is doing something incredibly dumb here; wanting to please everyone isn't as easy as he thinks it is. But then again, if he made all the right decisions the story wouldn't really be going still XD Kaito's far too rebellious to ever follow...for now at least :P**

Homunculus in the Flask: Kaito's just a bitter whore. (No, seriously.) He's dwelling on it because he was upset that Miku knew about the whole thing and not only criticized him for what he was doing (when he was trying to stop it for her) but went all hypocritical and tried to date/flirt with all his friends. He's not very trusting and genuinely believes he's looking out for Gakupo even if it comes off as him just being a giant butthead and pouty little boy about the whole thing XD No apologies though! I love to hear reader's opinions and thoughts, they make writing even more fun than it is :) So long as I'm not burning in flames of hate, I love to get reviews, no matter what thoughts you have! :)  


**Gerren: Thanks :) I'm glad to hear my story isn't too generic, since that is what I was DEFINITELY not shooting for, although I feel like it's getting passed over quite a bit XD It's fine because I'm not writing just to get views, but I AM happy to hear that some people are enjoying my writing as much as I enjoy writing it! :D **

**I suppose that's it for the reviews this time then :) DageRee, I'll PM you then like you said (once I post this at least, I'll try to). Thanks for reading, and look out for the next update! :)**


	15. Chapter 15

_Chapter 15-The Music Man_

"Not one book…" Luka muttered, biting her lip in frustration as she tossed aside the fiftieth record book she'd tried that afternoon. In return for Gakupo's help, Luka had agreed to another date, despite the fact that she would benefit from the date as well as her request. With a loud sigh, Gakupo also threw down his book before looking at where Luka sat next to him, her hair falling about her in pink wisps.

Nervously, he cleared his throat and asked, "Luka?"

"Mmm?"

There was a moment of silence as Gakupo gathered his courage before blurting out, "Do you mind telling me who you're looking for and why?"

At his question, Luka hesitantly turned to face him. Reluctant as she was to reveal too much of herself to others, she was beginning to feel guilty for requesting so many things from him without even telling him why. While her first intentions of getting closer to Gakupo were just to solve the mystery her mother had left her, Luka knew that the reason she had said yes to Gakupo was that deep inside, she truly did like him.

_Part of liking someone is trusting them…_Luka thought to herself, before deciding to trust him wholeheartedly. As her boyfriend, he was now far more important than just a friend and Luka felt like trusting him would be the best decision.

Clearing her throat, Luka said, "The name I'm looking for is Hiyama Kiyoteru. I don't know who he is, or what happened, but he was involved in some scandal here years ago, when another person like me attended Kaisei. I'm trying to find out because…" When her voice broke, Gakupo left his side of the table and stood up, walking over so that he was behind her.

Wrapping his arms around her in a hug, he muttered in her ear, "Hey, it's fine. You don't have to tell me everything right this minute."

Breaking out of his grasp, Luka turned and cried, "But I trust you and-!"

"Hey." Gakupo placed a finger on Luka's lips, silencing her and giving her a fond smile. Running a thumb across her cheek, he leaned down and kissed her gently before pulling back and blushing. Coughing to cover up his embarrassment, Gakupo said, "You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to right now. I'd rather remain in the dark have you make that face."

"What face?"

Gakupo pulled a ridiculous looking frown, making Luka laugh as he smiled back and replied, "That face. I'd rather see you smiling and laughing than looking so sad."

Straightening up, the student president absentmindedly patted Luka on the head and looked off thoughtfully at the nearest bookshelf. The name that Luka had given him wasn't one he was familiar with, although he somehow doubted that the person could be simply found in a yearbook or in the records of Kaisei somewhere.

Turning away, Gakupo flipped open his phone and scrolled through his contacts, stopping at Kaito's name before nodding. With a snap, he shut his phone before tilting Luka's chin up to give her another kiss. Breaking off, he smiled at her and said, "I'll see you tomorrow in class, alright?"

"Where are you going?" Luka asked, standing up and gathering her things as Gakupo began to walk towards the door. Throwing the keys up and down in his hand, the purple-haired teen replied, "I'm going to get answers."

**xxxxxxXXXXXxxxxxXXXXXxxxxXXXXXXxxxx**

Gakupo sat across the table from his friend, watching the blue-haired boy with hopeful eyes. After revealing some information as to there being a scandal, Gakupo knew he had Kaito's attention, although getting him to ask his parents would be another question. While Gakupo's family was considered nouveau rich, Kaito's family was old money and had all attended Kaisei like many of their other friend's families.

Although Kaito was free to do as he pleased, he didn't often talk to his parents as they were usually overseas or in other parts of the country to do business. Kaito could easily call them up and ask them questions, but their answers usually came with a price that the blue-haired boy was reluctant to pay.

Meeting his friend's eyes, Kaito asked solemnly, "You're asking me to find out all this for your girlfriend's sake, aren't you?"

"Was it that obvious?" Gakupo winced, realizing he had pretty much given away information he hadn't intended to. To his surprise, Kaito did not question his motives before sighing loudly and stretching out his legs.

Leaning back, Kaito mused, "I suppose I could ask them; after all, a scandal sounds pretty interesting no matter if it is for Luka or not. I just don't like the idea of being shipped off to take over an office for a few days…you know how my father is about that. He insists that if I waste his precious time with ridiculous questions over the phone that I make up for his lost time by doing some work."

"Kaito…I'm begging you. I want to know just as much as you do."

Straightening up, Kaito placed his hands on the table and folded them together before asking, "Gakupo, if I do this for you, will you do something for me?"

"Of course. We're friends, aren't we?"

At Gakupo's statement, Kaito smiled before saying, "Could you let me spend a day with Luka?"

**xxxxXXXXxxxxxXXXXXxxxxxXXXXXxxxx**

It was dark in the house as Kaito dialed his father's number reluctantly. A light breeze blew through the open window of his room, and as Kaito got up to close it, he wondered why he was even bothering doing this for his friend. True, scandal did interest him, but had he really become so shallow that he was willing to go this far for a girl he didn't even like?

Shaking his head as the phone began to ring, Kaito set his mouth in a determined line and told himself to follow through on his plan. It was obvious already that Gakupo was going to keep Luka; Kaito could see it in his friend's eyes as he'd requested the favor of him. At this point, Kaito knew he couldn't rely on Gakupo to carry out the bet, for no matter what he said to him it was obvious that the president wouldn't listen to him.

Gakupo was already lost, as far as Kaito was concerned.

It would be up to Len and him to break up Gakupo and Luka after everything was said and done, and Kaito had just the idea of how to do so. His thoughts were interrupted though when a stern voice picked up on the other end of the phone and said, _"Yes?" _

"Father."

There was a pause on the other side of the phone before a sigh was heard and the voice said, "_Kaito. I was wondering who was calling the office at such a late hour. What do you need? Is there something wrong with the house?"_

"No, everything's fine. I've a question to ask you though, about something that happened at Kaisei."

"_You realize the price of my answer, don't you?"_

Waving his hand as if his father could see it, Kaito replied, "That's fine. I'll do some work for the Okinawa office if you just give me the answers I'm looking for."

There was another pause before Kaito's father said, "_Proceed."_

"Does the name Hiyama Kiyoteru ring a bell? I've been hearing rumors lately, and that's a name prevalent among them. Besides that, what's this about some poor kid attending Kaisei? I mean, there's one here now but apparently there was one before her. What happened?"

Kaito felt a shiver go down his spine as his father's voice seemed to harden even more. He could almost feel the ice in his father's tone as the voice asked, "_Where did you hear that name and of that story?"_

When Kaito didn't answer, his father sighed before continuing, _"I can tell you, but you aren't to go around telling everyone about this, alright? The headmaster would not appreciate that, and furthermore I don't have the time or money to invest in you going to a different school; if you bring up old rumors you're bound to be silenced. _

_Hiyama Kiyoteru was the music teacher in my day."_

"The music teacher? But the music teacher now…if he was the music teacher in your day, wouldn't he still be there? You're not that old…"

"_I know,"_ the voice said dryly. "_But he was fired due to that incident. No specific details were given as to what exactly happened, but from what I remember is that a female student…the poor one that is…she was expelled after a few months."_

"What happened?" Kaito asked, beginning to grow impatient with his father's roundabout way of answering.

"_She and the teacher had an affair; she ended up pregnant and was kicked out and Hiyama-san ruined his family name. He was from a dignified and rich family as well, and the shame was too much for his family to bear. After he was fired they sent him off to Europe to study over there."_

Stunned into silence, Kaito let the phone slip from his ear as his father reminded him of the work he had to do and hung up. As the phone hit the ground, Kaito stumbled backwards, before falling onto his bed. The thought that Luka was most likely the child of a prestigious family had him shocked; even though it wasn't clear she was related to the student who had been expelled, the clues and hints were all there.

Rolling over, Kaito mused to himself some more before deciding that he would tell Gakupo and see what Luka did with information. There was no doubt in his mind that something interesting was bound to happen; besides that he had been able to successfully get Gakupo's permission for having Luka for a day.

**xxxxxXXXXxxxxXXXXxxxXXXxxxxXXXXxxxx**

The next day at school, Luka was surprised when Gakupo came straight up to her and clasped her hands in his. Looking around furtively, he whispered, "Don't be surprised but…I think we have the information you've been looking for. The only problem is that I offered to do something for Kaito in return for the information…"

Luka blinked in surprise as Gakupo leaned in and muttered, "I promised him he could spend a day with you, although I don't know why he wanted to do that."

Waving aside Kaito's strange request, Luka leaned in closer and asked, "What happened?"

Furtively, Gakupo looked around before leaning in to whisper, "I'll tell you after school today, on the roof alright? Meet me there and I promise I'll tell you everything!"

Luka was about to ask more when Miku and the others approached, and the pink-haired girl fell silent as her friend greeted her. After looking around, Miku frowned. Noticing the look on her face, Gakupo knew exactly what she was about to ask. Not giving her a chance to even ask, the purple-haired student told his friend, "Kaito won't be here for the rest of the week; he'll be back on Saturday."

"Why?" Miku asked, her smile threatening to crumble at the thought. Clearing her throat, her teal eyes searched Gakupo's as the girl asked, "Is it his father? Don't tell me that they're pulling him out to succeed already…?"

"No, no, that's not it," Gakupo reassured her. Without thinking, he continued, "Besides, wouldn't you of all people know first if he was going to succeed?"

At the mention of the engagement, Miku's smile disappeared completely, causing Gakupo to backtrack quickly as Len flipped open his phone and started to text Kaito. Waving his hands frantically, the student president coughed and said, "Miku, he's just been sent to cover some things in his father's office for a few days."

Hearing that, Len snapped his phone shut and stared at Gakupo curiously while Miku frowned even more. Jerking his head in a different direction, Len called Gakupo out into the hall while the girls went to their usual spot and began to speculate as to why Kaito was gone. Once the two friends were out in the hall, Len stared down his friend, somehow knowing that Gakupo knew the reason behind Kaito's summons. The two stared at each other down until Gakupo caved and admitted to having gone and asked a favor of Kaito.

The bell began to ring before the two could discuss it anymore, and as Gakupo walked back into the classroom Len felt his phone vibrate in his jacket pocket. Fishing it out, Len gave it a cursory glance before his eyes widened at the words he saw there. Len looked up at Gakupo's retreating figure before slowly opening his phone and pressing the reply button.

* * *

**Ooooh suspense XD I tried, even for a fairly short chapter. Guess who has strep throat? :D -that should probably not be such a happy face, but ohwell. **

**And now, to the reviews:**

**jjawesome300: Gakupo...eh...EHHH...I will not say anything decisive, but there IS a chance he can get away with this, despite Kaito knowing things innately. Also, thanks for liking my story :)**

**XxKingArthurIIIxX: It isn't so much that he hasn't learned it-more like he's denying that fact that he can't please everyone. A lot of people I know tend to think they can make everything and everyone happy even when it's totally impossible. Also, Kaito's smarter than Gakupo gives him credit for, though at this point he's just given up telling him what to do since Gakupo obviously isn't listening to him. Len and Kaito are going to take things into their own hands...Anyways, I'm really glad you liked the three shot :) I had as much fun writing that as I am writing this one!**

**Black and White Superstitious: Thank you!**

**Fostersb: Dead on! You totally saw that Kaito wasn't going to be fooled that easily XD There WILL be more romance, I can promise that much. Besides, Gakupo's still got a bet to finish, doesn't he?**

****** : Hahaha thanks :P I do like to leave things hanging, because it usually means you want to come back and read what happens next, right? :) Also , you're english isn't that bad! (frifletcheer for some reason it won't let me post your name in front, but this is your review answer!)**

**Alrighty, there's that. So. To the next update...whenever that may be XD Thanks all for the reads and reviews, and see you all then! :) **


	16. Chapter 16

_Chapter sixteen-Kaito's Day Out_

"What happened?"

Luka stood a few feet from her boyfriend, watching his facial expressions carefully as he stood by the rail and looked away from her. When he didn't answer, the pinkette knew he was seriously thinking about something, and slowly she approached him from behind, wrapping her arms around him. As his eyes widened in surprise at the gesture, she murmured into his back, "It's okay, you can tell me. I can handle it."

Without warning, Gakupo turned around and grabbed Luka tightly and pulled her into a hug. The two stood in silence, the wind blowing around them until the president pulled back and reached down, tracing her cheek with one hand. Biting his lower lip, Gakupo finally said, "I just don't want you to jump to too many conclusions, or be upset okay?"

With a small laugh, Luka leaned her face into his hand before replying, "I told you I can handle it, didn't I?"

Her comment made Gakupo smile, before he took a deep breath and launched into the whole story. By the time he'd finished it, he was out of breath and felt worse than ever; Luka hadn't said a word since he'd started, and at the end she'd gotten up and stood by the railing, facing away from him as he concluded the tale.

As more silence punctuated the end of the story, Gakupo hesitantly walked over to reach out a hand and touch Luka's shoulder. Just before his hand was able to touch her, she swerved around, her eyes bright with a hope that he'd never seen in them before.

"I have a name now…a story. Gakupo, I might actually be someone and have a family now…" Luka's voice trailed off, the hope in her eyes seeming to even ring in her voice as she smiled up at her boyfriend.

She was astonished when Gakupo's mouth set into a hard line and he muttered, "I don't think you have too much to be happy about. If he is your father, he isn't even in this country. And furthermore, if his family was that upset about the scandal they're bound to do everything they can to keep it a secret…they're an old and powerful group, Luka. They're not likely to just accept you in as easily as you're thinking. Our world doesn't work that way."

Luka bit her lip, anger starting to brew in her stomach. When Gakupo reached out to gently touch her face, she jerked away with a cross look. Saddened by the gesture, he retracted his hand and said softly, "I'm just trying to warn you. I don't want you to get hurt."

"It's too late for that," Luka muttered bitterly, before pushing past him and walking back into the school. As Gakupo watched her retreating figure, he silently cursed himself for being so harsh before slowly following her and wondering what was to come of this newfound information.

**xxxxxXXXXXXxxxXXXXxxxXXXXxxxxXXXXxxxx**

Luka was walking to school the next day when an elegant car drove up beside her and stopped, just a few feet ahead. Curiously, Luka stared at the car until a tall man in a suit stepped out and approached her, bowing low. When she took a step back warily, the man straightened up and said, "My apologies in advance, Miss Megurine."

"Wha-?" Before Luka could even finish the word, she found herself thrown over the shoulder of the butler-like man and carried over to the car, where one of the back doors was kicked open. As Luka realized what was happening, she began to scream and kick, but no avail.

"Let me goooooo!" the beautiful girl cried as she was lightly tossed into the back seat of the car. There was a yelp of surprise from her as she saw who it was before the door to the car was deftly shut by the butler. The butler opened the door to the passenger seat and got in as well, clicking the door shut as the car began to drive away, far past the gates of Kaisei and into the streets.

From a distance, Miku blinked and looked closer, wondering if she'd really just seen Luka shoved into a car. Peering closer, Miku recognized the license and her face flushed red with anger as she realized what had just happened.

"What does he think he's doing?" Miku hissed between her teeth, before marching furiously towards Kaisei. As she all but rampaged into the school, the teal-haired girl slowed her footsteps until she came to a complete stop and stared at the ground, biting her lip with a mixture of frustration and concern.

What was Kaito doing, taking Luka and skipping school?

**xxxXXXXXxxxxXXXXxxxxXXXXxxxxXXXXxxxx**

A confused and harassed Luka sat on the opposite seat of the car. To her surprise, Kaito was sitting across from her with an amused smirk on his face and his arms crossed. Before she could say or ask anything, he held a hand up as if telling her not to speak and then turned to look out the window. As the two rode in silence, Luka wondered what plans Kaito had in mind for her and what he'd meant by asking to have her for a day.

As Kaito stared out the window, he steeled his nerves to go through with his plan. There was a slight chance that what he had in mind would work more in her favor than his, but with all the information on the Hiyama family the blue-haired boy had gathered, he was more than positive that things were going to go his way. With a slight cough, he turned back and looked at the pink-haired girl, who scooted back and gave him a wary look.

Her gesture of defensiveness was so strange to him that Kaito couldn't help the small scoffing laugh that came out of his mouth. Clearing his throat to speak, the blue-haired boy looked her over before saying, "Don't worry, I'm not going to eat you or anything. I just want to get to know you better."

"There are other ways of doing that besides kidnapping me," Luka pointed out. Waving aside her statement, Kaito leaned forward and said, "Whatever. I just want to talk to you today, without that worry-wart hovering around and watching my every move."

When Luka gave him a confused look, Kaito rolled his eyes and sat back, grumbling, "He's constantly lurking in the background at school and if I'd taken you out on the weekend to talk he would have followed. You know exactly what I'm talking about."

As Luka remembered the worried look on Gakupo's face, she muttered, "He does worry too much….but I think he'll be even more worried if I don't arrive at school today. Besides, Miku is already pretty distressed about the fact you missed some days last week."

At the mention of his fiancée's name, Kaito clammed up for a moment before settling back and crossing his arms again. With a loud sigh, he asked, "Can you at least have lunch with me? We'll go back to school after. I just want to talk to you."

Curiosity piqued, Luka gave him a cautious look before settling down into the seat with a hesitant nod. As she turned to look out the window, she missed the edge of Kaito's mouth curving up ever so slightly into a smirk.

**xxxxxXXXXxxxxXXXXxxxxXXXXxxxXXXXXXxxxx**

"GAKUPO!"

The purple-haired teen looked up as Miku ran up to him, a look of worry written all over her face. The twins looked up as well, and noting the worried look on Miku's face they both stood up. Walking up to her friend, Rin put on a concerned face and patted Miku on the shoulder before asking, "Hey, Miku, what's wrong?"

Ignoring her friend, Miku looked askance at Gakupo before demanding, "What's Kaito doing with Luka?"

The instant the words came out of her mouth, everyone in the class swiveled around with interested looks on their faces. Hissing out a "SHHHHH!" Gakupo grabbed Miku by the arm and all but dragged her out into the hallway, leaving the confused twins behind.

The two got halfway down the hall before Gakupo let go of her and turned, saying, "What do you mean, 'what's Kaito doing with Luka'? Kaito's still in Okinawa taking care of business, and Luka's probably just late…"

Crossing her arms, Miku complained, "Not true. I saw it, Gakupo, it was his car and his butler that came and picked Luka off the sidewalk on the way to school! I was getting out of my car when it happened, so it wasn't like I could've done anything. What is he doing?"

Miku's words were lost on the president though as he realized that Luka was with Kaito at this very moment. For a second, Gakupo debated leaving school to find them and bring her back, before reminding himself that as student president he was obligated to stay at the school and set a good example for the other students. Besides that, Luka hadn't talked to him since their fight the previous day. Grinding his teeth together, Gakupo turned to look out the nearest window before silently admitting defeat to his friend. Ignoring Miku as she continued to ask questions, Gakupo trudged back to the classroom while wondering what Kaito and Luka could possibly be doing.

**xxxXXXXXxxxxXXXXxxxxXXXXxxxXXXXxxxxXXXxxxxx**

There was an awkward silence as the two teens sat across from each other, staring in opposite directions. Luka looked around the fancy restaurant with curiosity, while Kaito watched the other people with some disdain. While they waited on their food, the blue-haired teen noticed several of the other customers whispering and pointing, and out of the corner of his eye he looked over at Luka.

Despite being from a different background as everyone at Kaisei, Kaito marveled once more at how she seemed to fit the part of a rich young lady perfectly. Her looks were something to behold, and her mannerisms were not that of the people that normally walked the streets. The idea of her elegance caused Kaito to smirk once more, and he leaned forward and took a deep breath before talking.

"You really do look the part of a well-off young lady," he complimented her. Turning back to look at him, Luka eyed him with slight suspicion before settling back and lifting her chin slightly. Looking down her nose at him, she replied haughtily, "Lack of wealth is no excuse for giving up manners. As the caretaker for rich young boy, it's only natural that I'd have some training on how to represent myself in these sorts of situations. I've had to take Oliver several places before, and his parents wanted me to fit in with the rest of the scene."

Kaito smiled all the more as their food was set down. Waving the waiter away, he rested his chin on his hand before saying casually, "There is a way you could fit into the scene at Kaisei, you know."

When Luka gave him a blank look, he sat back again and sighed with feigned annoyance, as if what he was talking about was blatantly obvious. Giving her an exasperated glance, he pointed out, "You know your past now. No matter what, the story's details all point to you being related to the Hiyama family."

Cautiously, Luka asked, "What do you mean?"

"What else do I mean?" Kaito growled, closing his eyes in frustration before continuing. "Isn't it obvious? You can finally be a part of Kaisei the proper way; and you can truly be with Gakupo now."

Jerking back, Luka's eyes widened as she gulped and said, "Aren't I already with him?"

"Not really. You're poor, he's rich. There's no way you two could remain together for too long, even you know that. The rules of society wouldn't allow it."

"You…you don't know that."

As Luka's voice cracked in hesitation, Kaito hid another smirk before saying, "But don't I? After all, I come from a rich family, just like him. I know the rules of how things work; love doesn't mean a thing. It's all about status, and power. Don't you want to be a part of that, so you'll never have to leave Gakupo?"

Luka fell silent, a thoughtful look on her face as Kaito continued, "I can help you. I can help you find your 'family'."

At his words, her head jerked up and she stared into his hardened eyes, before asking, "Why would you do that for me?"

Sitting back, Kaito scorned, "It's not necessarily just for you. I want Gakupo to be happy too; he wants to be with you Luka, any idiot can see that."

Leaning in, Luka burst out, "Would you help me find them then?"

The corner of Kaito's mouth lifted and he held up a finger saying, "I will….on one condition."

* * *

**Wow it's been awhile XD Sorry for such a long wait you guys! Occasionally I go on long breaks of writing when I'm in school and then post at random times so...yeah. Sorry for taking forever!**

**To the reviews then: **

**XxKingArthurIIIxX: I know I took forever, but I'm back! Well, sort of. School has been BEYOND crazy as of late, so I've been really busy with that and writing has kind of fallen to the side although I finally managed to finish off this chapter. Kaito's kind of nuts...kind of. Like, he means well but seriously he can be dumb about things which is frustrating, I'm sure XD Either way, I will attempt to update more! Thank you for being such an awesome reader/reviewer!**

**Fosterb: There's no doubt that he still loves her, but because of that he's worried about her trying to get in contact with the Hiyama family. I mean, they sent their own son away...so naturally he's worried about what they might do when they find out the may have an illegitimate heir running around with the story of their greatest scandal. **

**DageRee: Seriously, I really am sorry about my lame updating skills when I'm at school XD But hey, at least now you're caught up? **

**Either way, thanks to all the reviews and reads, and I really will try harder to update more! Until then!**


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